Of Men and Wolves
by Kiya Sama
Summary: Kiba has arrived in a new world and must look up to Tsume for guidance and protection? Only time will tell as their stubborn natures clash to reveal hidden and unwanted desires underneath.
1. Prologue The One Named Kiba

**Title:** 'Of Men and Wolves' Prologue

**Pairings:** Future Tsume/Kiba

**Rating:** R

**Warnings:** Angst, yaoi/shonen-ai, AU?

**Disclaimers:** Main characters are property of BONES. I make no money off them.

**Summary:** Kiba has arrived in a new world and must now look up to Tsume for guidance and protection? Only time will tell as their stubborn natures clash in more ways than one to reveal hidden and unwanted desires.

**Notes**: Consider this a rebellious cry against the lack of Kiba love out there lol . No seriously, I would really like to see more Kiba fics out there, but this idea came to me early this morning and I just had to write it down. We'll see how long this goes. The timeline continues from the end of the show.

Enjoy - and know that feedback is always very much appreciated!

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**Prologue: **

**The One Named Kiba **

His feet pounded the wet pavement with each step he took. His sneakers were soaked to the point that he could feel his toes and soles tingle with the cold from the water. He stepped into another puddle, hardly caring that the hems of his jeans were now much darker as the water crept higher through the cloth. He stopped long enough to obey the laws of the land as he watched the traffic lights before him blink with the image of a red man. It meant 'Stop' and let the cars have their right of way.

_It meant Stop and let life pass by in a never-ending circle of misery and darkness. _

He lowered his gaze to his wet shoes and stuck his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket as if hoping that it would give him the warmth that he so desperately needed. His dark hair fell in damp ringlets around his face, perhaps shielding him away from society's ugly glare.

How long had he been running? From whence had he come from? Time seemed to have lost all sense and meaning to him. He knew that he was running to meet someone…to find something…but…

"Hey, move it!"

"Ah…"

He staggered and had to steady himself quickly as the other pedestrians walked past him. It was a moving mass of humans and he felt like he was in the middle, standing still, unable to get his feet to cooperate with him.

Move… 

He took a step forward – almost tentative and was immediately faced with a barrage of insults from a man in a yellow automobile before him.

"What the fuck are ya doing, kid?! You can't just cross the fucking road when cars are moving!!"

Horns blared. Tempers flared. He held out his hands as if to shield himself from the chaos around him. However, something deep within him – like a dull flame flickering higher and higher within the pit of his stomach – rose to the surface. The mindless cacophony of an irate society dulled and yet sharpened his senses and everything seemed to slow down before him. He 'opened' up his eyes and saw it - the fine hairs on the man now standing inches before him with a thunderous expression on his visage. He could see every pore on the pale flesh, could almost taste the hot cold drops of sweat that oozed out of them. His breathing quickened as a strong and indescribable scent assailed his senses.

_Meat. _

He was hungry after all.

He licked his lips and eyed the rather fat and _juicy_ neck. He could see every nerve and vein throbbing with blood, with _life!_ How wonderful and delicious it would be to have a taste of this being to nourish his famished soul. He had been running for a long time and it was only a matter of time before his instincts would kick in.

To hunt. To kill.

That was his mission and he was one to never fail when it came to such matters.

How? How do you know that? 

His hands seemed to move on their own accord. He watched in fascination as the man's eyes began to widen in fear. He wondered what the man could be seeing for if he had known, the young man would have seen that his expression was anything but human at the moment. For what the taxi driver saw was a beast – one with narrowed teal eyes, shaggy wet hair and fangs within a mouth that seemed to stretch with each passing second.

The taxi driver felt something damp between his legs and he knew that he had finally given way to his fear. Uttering a breathless squeak, he tried to run away – begging for forgiveness, for the young man to spare his life. He was just a poor man. He had a wife and kids and he loved them very much. Please, please don't kill me!

But the smell of fear is a potent drug – intoxicating - and the young man was no stranger to it. He didn't care about the man's family or his welfare. He was hungry and if he didn't eat soon, he would probably die of starvation.

He lunged.

"Aaaah!!"

But, the next sequence of events went by in such a blur that the man was not sure of what had just happened. He knew he had been this close to taking a chunk out of the taxi driver's neck, but now he found himself being pulled away rather roughly by a very strong hand and literally thrown upon the back of what seemed to be a motorcycle.

The glazed and maniacal look in the man's eyes cleared away slowly to reveal the chaotic mess that he was now leaving behind. The taxi driver was now a blubbering mass in the middle of the road. Other cars had stopped to stare. Passersby had also stopped to witness the strange incident and as if the excitement would never end, two police cars were now chasing he and his mysterious 'rescuer'.

He had to wrap his arms tightly around the taller man's waist for fear he would fall off the speeding motorbike as he stared at the small silver ponytail that peeked out of the black helmet, with curiosity.

"Faster…" he finally muttered against the leather cloth upon the man's back.

He smells like… 

He couldn't see the smirk on the other's face. "You don't have to tell me that twice," came the raspy reply. "Hold on tightly."

_I am crazy,_ he thought as he closed his eyes and allowed the rushing wind to envelope them in its cocoon. _Why am I going with him? I don't…don't even know who he is…_

"You have a nerve to try to do that in the middle of the street," the man was saying as the dark-haired man opened up his eyes to stare at their new surroundings. They were now out of the city and going down the highway. He could still hear the sirens behind them, but they were rather faint. "Just what the hell were you thinking?"

The dark one said nothing and closed his eyes again. He was so very hungry and he had been running for so long.

The silver-haired man turned his head a little to stare at his new burden with a raised brow.

"Did you say something?" he asked quickly as he focused his attention back on the road again.

"Ki…Kiba…" the other muttered wearily. "My name…Kiba…"

The silver-haired one frowned lightly before nodding, as if he had somehow expected such a name in the first place. "The name's Tsume," he finally replied with a screech of the brakes as he made a sharp turn around a corner. "Welcome to my world."


	2. Tsume Takes Charge

**Part One:**

**Tsume Takes Charge:**

Tsume's world consisted of dark alleys hidden within towers of concrete and steel. His world was littered with society's derelicts – the unwanted ones or those who wished to stay hidden in the shadows like perennial thieves. His world smelled of stale beer and wine, of cheap cigars or cigarettes, wet pavements and damp clothes with mingled scents of boiled pasta or perhaps cabbage.

Young women, dressed in little more than scraps of clothing, leaned against graffiti-infested walls with faces painted in vivid colors that seemed to bleed into their skin. They crooned and called out to the two young men, offering the sinful decadence of their flesh as suitable rewards. If Tsume saw or heard any of them, he made no attempt to acknowledge it. His eyes remained on the narrow streets before him and if anything he seemed to drive even faster – very dangerous considering how close he had been to knocking a few pedestrians in the process.

Their journey took them even deeper into the ghetto. Painted women in short skirts and high heels had now given way to small groups of men dressed in leather jackets with silver or gold accessories dotting their clothing like a precious necessity. Mohawks of every color, shape and length were blazing trademarks on each young man's head and as the two men drove past, Kiba was sure that many of them either cringed away from Tsume's presence or gave an air of pure disgust and bitterness in their features.

Kiba was unaware of just how tight his arms were around the other's waist for the mingled smells and sights were a heady rush to his senses. He had never seen anything like this before…or had he? His thoughts were all in a mess – a combination of weariness and hunger was now beginning to make him lose consciousness again.

"Home sweet home," Tsume said in that low voice of his that had Kiba's lashes flying open as the motorcycle came to a sudden stop.

There were now before a ten-story apartment building that looked like it had just survived a bombing of some sort. Half of its windows were broken and looked like miserable eyes staring at nothing. Some were, however, still intact and had lights within them – others looked dark and lonely. Clotheslines connected one building to the other while long, steel pipes added its own splendor of confusion and chaos. A small white dog barking and running for its life, it seemed, went past Kiba. Three children soon followed afterwards, all yelling at the top of their lungs and with sticks in their hands. It was clear that they were having their fun with the poor creature and as Kiba watched in fascination, Tsume leaned over the bike to grab one of the boys by the scruff of his neck.

"Awww, Tsume!" the boy cried out. "We was just playin'…"

"And I warned you about that, didn't I?" came the cold reply. No, Kiba thought. It wasn't really cold. It was more of a stern scolding. The kind you gave to naughty children who had the tendency to misbehave a lot. Tsume still had his helmet on, but Kiba was sure that the taller man was smiling – a little.

"Will you let the little mutt go now?"

"If ya promise to take us riding on yer bike!" the boy teased with a cheeky grin. "Ya promised!"

"All right, all right. Now get lost, kid!" He released the boy, who only gave his older friend a wide grin before running off to catch up to his friends.

They watched him a moment longer before Tsume shook his head slowly and began to take off the black head protector. Kiba, who had managed to extricate himself from the bike, watched the silver-haired man carefully, noticing for the first time, the single gold earring that dangled from Tsume's left ear. Piercing gray eyes met his and held for a moment as if scrutinizing the shaggy-haired man in turn. Kiba shivered at the intense look and hugged his jacket tighter around him as if protecting himself from it. He was beginning to hate the emotions this man was rousing in him and really wished that Tsume would stop staring.

"So…"

"Hun…"

They both stopped and Tsume shrugged. "I was going to invite you up to eat something. You look like you're about to collapse on your damn feet. Follow me if you like."

He pushed the machine towards a set of steel bars that had several matching heavy-duty chains attached to it. Kiba watched as Tsume secured the bike with deft fingers. It was clear that he had done this many times before. As the silver-haired one hunkered down to check on his wheels, Kiba took the time to investigate Tsume a bit more. Strong shoulders were hidden beneath the plain black leather jacket. Matching skin-tight leather pants (of which Kiba was sure would feel smooth to the touch) showcased powerful thighs and legs. All in all, Tsume was in great shape and that was something Kiba could appreciate.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Tsume asked curtly as he rose to his feet to glare at Kiba coldly. "Who are you really? Where did you come from?"

He took a threatening step towards Kiba, eyes narrowed with irritation and frustration, as he saw absolutely no fear in the other's eyes. He growled and spun around again. This was definitely a first. No one in the past had been able to look him in the eye for that long without cringing or whimpering in fear. Hell, one only had to remember that this was the same guy who had almost sunk his teeth into a man's jugular on the highway. Tsume was not really sure of what to make of this Kiba.

"Huh…what the…?" He held out his hands quickly to steady Kiba who had staggered towards him. Cursing softly beneath his breath, he could feel the other man's flesh literally searing with heat through the cloth.

"Don't tell me you're sick now," he mumbled as he reluctantly shifted the semi-conscious Kiba against his body. He was made helplessly aware of how slender and light the dark-haired one was. Sighing inwardly, he made a move into the building when his skin prickled in awareness. Even without turning around, he already knew just who stood behind him.

"Good evening, boys," he greeted coolly, his frown deepening as Kiba's thick hair tickled his jaw and mouth. "What can I do for you tonight?"

Raucous laughter greeted this statement, but Tsume bore it with no attempt to turn around to face his 'friends'.

"Don't be late tonight, man," someone said. "You know the drill. We've got the stuff. We just need you to show up."

"Or maybe he's got himself a new piece of ass and won't be showing up!" Another added, sending the group howling at the deliberate tease. Tsume's jaw worked for a moment and he grit his teeth. He could feel Kiba stirring again and he wanted nothing more than to place Kiba aside somewhere and deal with the present nuisance.

Instead, he grated out in a voice that was cold enough to freeze water. "I'll be there. Don't worry about that."

"Hey, Tina, Tony! You two stay here and make sure he comes out again, got it?"

Two whines of protest filled the air and Tsume rolled his eyes as he settled for throwing Kiba over his shoulder. He took another step and was forced to come to a stop again as the leader hailed him. Finally, he spun around slowly to meet the amused but glazed blue eyes of Sykes – a six foot, multicolored Mohawk sporting man, with enough body piercing to scare away a native. They were definitely an eclectic group of misfits and Tsume was already beginning to regret ever joining their damn crew in the first place.

Sykes stepped closer, his fingers twirling around a small penknife as he spoke lazily. "Don't fuck up tonight, man. I've got thousands of dough riding on this deal, got it? We'll give you an hour and then we're out of here…with or without you."

He snapped his fingers and the rest of the gang began to walk away. Sykes followed soon after, but not before giving Tsume a playful wink and a softly blown kiss that had the taller man growling in irritation. Hardly waiting for the others to make the turn around the corner, Tsume strode into the building with his brows drawn together in a thunderous scowl. There would be two shipments of illegal drugs passing through the docks tonight and both he and Sykes had agreed to intercept the trade. They would have to have all four crates in their possession by the end of the night and to top it all; their 'client' awaited the contents of their conquest with the promise of a hefty reward once delivered.

Tsume was skeptical about that. But then again, he had always been wary of those in authority. He had never bought any of their fake grins and promises. To him they were nothing more than a collective mass of corruption and greed. It was enough to make him want to puke…or kill them all.

"Hey…hey…" He tapped Kiba's pale cheeks gently as he kicked open the door to his apartment. "We're here," he announced flatly as he eased Kiba into a single wooden chair. He watched with a raised brow as the other man's lashes…

(They were quite long and almost feminine)

…fluttered weakly. He was unaware of how tense he was as he waited for Kiba to slide off the chair. However, Kiba's lashes opened up slowly and it took a while for his glazed look to become clear again. He stared blankly at Tsume for a moment before turning his head around slowly to eye his new surroundings. The apartment consisted of a room with two doors that led to a bathroom and the other to a small kitchen. It was surprisingly spotless for a guy who looked so 'rough'. There was a low shelf in the living room that housed several hardbound books. Upon it was a wicked looking dagger that was encased in a rather intricately designed sheath. There was nothing else in the form of décor for the room, but Kiba assumed that Tsume wasn't one to waste his time with such trivial matters.

He opened up his mouth to compliment Tsume, but was taken aback as he watched the taller man snort lightly before making his way into the kitchen. Kiba lowered his lashes and shifted restlessly on the chair, his stomach growling as the sudden smell of processed meat assailed his senses. He licked his lips and sincerely hoped he wasn't drooling. He was already indebted to Tsume and Kiba wasn't sure he wanted to create even more of an impression him – the negative one to be exact.

In mere minutes, Tsume all but slammed a bowl of meat and potatoes before him.

"Eat," he commanded. "And what you choose to do afterwards is up to you."

Kiba, who had already picked up his chopsticks to begin eating, eyed Tsume warily but said nothing.

"I've got things to do tonight and I won't be here to take care of you or anything," Tsume explained impatiently. Why was it becoming increasingly hard to stare into Kiba's eyes? It seemed as if Kiba was judging, scrutinizing and testing him at every turn. It made Tsume very uncomfortable. He spun away and continued gruffly.

"There's a futon in the closet over there if you want to sleep and if you don't want to stay, just make sure you lock the door behind you. I don't generally allow strangers into my place."

"So why did you bring me here?" Kiba asked quietly as he picked up a succulent chunk of meat to savor hungrily.

Tsume's hands tightened into fists. Why indeed? How could he tell Kiba that there had been something primitive in the way he had acted on the streets – something so wild and tempting that had sent his blood boiling with excitement. How could he tell Kiba that they were alike…in some weird, cosmic out-of-this-world way – that they must have some kind of a connection to one another.

No. Tsume decided that he'd rather kill himself than tell Kiba such things. He stole a quick glance at his guest and frowned again. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but he was sure that Kiba wasn't all he seemed. The dark-haired man could act weak and helpless for now, but Tsume was sure that when let loose, Kiba could be a worthy and deadly opponent.

"Kiba…" he muttered to himself as if testing the weight of the name on his tongue.

Kiba lifted his head from his meal and eyed Tsume's back with curiosity. "Did you call me?"

"No…"

"Ah, okay. I just thought…"

"Look, forget it, okay?" Tsume snapped coldly. He glanced at his watch and cursed softly beneath his breath. Sykes and the others were probably waiting for him by now. Making sure he had his keys in his pockets, he reached for his dagger and tucked it securely within his jacket. All of this wasn't lost on Kiba, who had watched each movement beneath lowered lashes.

"Remember what I said," Tsume said quickly as he began to make his way out of the apartment. "You can stay or you can leave. Makes no damn difference to me, got it?"

_Although, I do want you to stay…_

Tsume shook his head rapidly at the stray thought, muttering an expletive at this sudden weakness before stomping out of the apartment. The door was slammed shut rather loudly and Kiba had to hold onto to his plate for fear it would slide to the floor as the entire room trembled from Tsume's exit.

Once all was settled again, he finished his food quietly with a thoughtful frown on his handsome visage. It was clear that Tsume was going to be with those men he had heard earlier. Kiba had feigned his unconscious state, even though he had been more than aware of the vague words that had been exchanged.

He bit his lower lip and stared out of the window to the darkened city outside. It was clear that Tsume and his friends were about to do something rather dangerous and Kiba had never been one to shy away from such things before. He told himself that he was only going to take a peek at what sort of activities Tsume engaged in. He wouldn't interfere and he wouldn't stick his nose where he wasn't wanted. But for now…

"I've got to find out, Tsume," he finished softly.

He rose to his feet and walked towards the window. With a soft grunt and a hard push, he managed to open it, allowing the strong smells of the streets and a cold draft to assail his senses. He stepped out onto the ledge and closed his eyes. He sniffed gently. Tsume's scent was rather faint amongst the others but with enough concentration, Kiba was sure he could pinpoint his new 'friend's' location.

_There!_

He opened up his eyes quickly in obvious excitement. They were now a brilliant green and his entire being seemed to thrum with suppressed energy. He couldn't drive to where Tsume was, but he could reach him in another way. He closed his eyes and concentrated again and taking a very deep breath, Kiba leapt from his rather dangerous perch and into the darkness that awaited him below.

TBC…


	3. The Skirmish at Port Victoria

Much Thanks to: Mistress Serenity, baby mar-mar, Aly, MeLaiya, Tata, Lil mi1, Aly (/blush/ Ah, thank you so much. Your comments really made my day! ) Shi-Tiger (In this story, Tsume and Kiba do not really know who/what they are yet. So the misfits are all regular humans.) Glad you're enjoying the story so far, you guys! Thanks so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it! And now onto the ficcage! /grin/

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**Part Two:**

**The Skirmish at Port Victoria:**

The loud, harsh sound of an incoming ship tore through the cool night air like a black crow shot in flight. The cacophony of frenzied shouts from port workers – foreigners and locals alike – heavy, steel chains being pulled by able-bodied men to anchor the looming piece of machinery and subsequent loud clanging of metal against metal, had Tsume and the others wincing inwardly. They remained hidden in the shadows, dark beings mingling with their surroundings as they watched the activity below.

Port Victoria was supposedly the busiest port in this section of the Western Hemisphere. Its daily freight and cargo boasted of over a hundred ships laying anchor here at least each hour. There was fresh food, mostly sea life – tuna, salmon, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, rare oysters and even cargos filled with sharks. There were cargos of vegetables and fruits imported from other countries in the world – silk and rare cloths, artillery and weapons (although these were under strict surveillance by military personnel stationed around the dock). All in all, Victoria was a hub nub for activity and tonight was no exception.

Tsume held the binoculars to his face, squinting in an effort to make out the right ship that held their cargo. The ship's name (according to Sykes) was 'The Beatific' – a rather odd name for a ship, Tsume thought. It was to arrive at 2300 hours, less than half an hour from now. Large cranes were stationed along the pier to welcome the ships in. The crates containing supposed Indian tea and cloth would be loaded unto pallets that would be taken to waiting delivery trucks and then stored in the warehouse a few miles away. The task allotted to Tsume and his crew was to hijack the delivery trucks and drive them to their 'client's' warehouse instead. It seemed easy enough, but with the amount of security loitering about, Tsume could tell that this was going to be one hell of a job tonight.

He gritted his teeth and shifted his position, wincing as his legs protested the sudden movement. He had been in this hunched position for quite some time and his leg muscles ached with the effort. He turned his head to the left, watching warily as Sykes and Jake began to whisper harshly to each other. There was already a dispute going on and Tsume could take a wild guess as to where this was going. Tina and Marla were going to be decoys. They would be sent down to the dock to distract the officers on duty. Blood would be spilled tonight if things got out of hand and Tsume was already itching for that to happen. He closed his eyes and licked his lips slowly, his senses becoming more acute with each passing minute.

When had he begun to notice this change in him? He had always lived his life on the edge, had gone about his daily business with no real thoughts behind them. But now, things seemed so much clearer and more focused to him. He found that he could see much better, especially in the dark. His last girlfriend had also noticed the change. She had said his eyes looked like golden flecks of light in the darkness. Tsume hadn't been sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or not. Either way, he had become more aware of how much clearer things were and just how much his sense of smell had heightened. Tonight alone had been torture for him. The combined smells of hot oil, grease, fresh sea water and smoke was beginning to do a number on him. He struggled to control his breathing, grimacing as beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. All of a sudden, he longed for fresh, clean and crisp air – the need to be away from this chaos and to be in a place where he could be free to roam in the wild.

_Kiba..._

He jerked upright, eyes widening in disbelief at the image of the stray he had picked up earlier that filled his mind. That was it! His 'changes' had actually begun yesterday – perhaps they had begun over time, but yesterday had been more pronounced than ever. Today alone, it had threatened to make him nearly insane with how much it was messing up his mind. He had sensed Kiba's presence miles before he had arrived at the chaotic scene in the middle of the city. The other man's scent had been incredible to say the least. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. The smell of wildness, an untamed beast – one just like him. Tsume licked his lips again, but this time it wasn't in response to the scent of blood but to the thought of that damn man in his apartment.

If he was still there that is.

Kiba had wrapped his arms around his waist like he had belonged. Kiba had shown no fear when Tsume had threatened him. Kiba had looked...

..._beautiful..._

...when he had wanted to take a chunk out that man's neck. What was so beautiful about watching another person die? No, it wouldn't have been an ordinary death, Tsume deduced with a small smirk. This would have been the perfect death. To watch Kiba take the life of another would have been a fantastic thing to watch for Tsume was sure that Kiba was just like him, deep down inside. He wasn't sure of what that connection was yet. But he wanted to explore it all the same.

_Be home,_ he wished fervently as he watched Sykes make the signal with a flick of his lighter. _Don't you dare run out on me, Kiba!_

"Now!" Tsume cried out as he leapt down from the wall and into the surprised group of armed men now training their guns on him. He whipped out his knife and stuck it between his teeth, a wicked grin now on his handsome features as they took on a feral look. Bullets whizzed by him as he broke through their ranks. He felt the sting of gunshots, but nothing felt better than the smell of hot, thick blood from his unworthy opponents.

* * *

Kiba stopped short as the loud sirens from panic stations around the port went off with a flurry of lights. He sucked in a harsh breath and pressed himself tightly against a wall as frenzied searchlights danced over him for a moment. It wouldn't do to be caught now. Besides, he had only come here to see what Tsume and his friends were up to. However, one look at the chaos in the dock below was enough to tell that things hadn't gone as smoothly as they would have liked.

He leapt down the high wall and crouched between stacks of huge crates, keen eyes watching the scene before him as another flood of armed guards came running down the pier. Kiba eyed the heavy artillery with wariness, knowing he shouldn't butt in, knowing that if Tsume found out that he was here, he could be in serious trouble. But then again, when had he ever listened to reason? Let alone from someone he had just met today. He wasn't afraid of Tsume. So yes, the other man had a tantalizing scent that had begun to worry him on his trip here, but that didn't mean anything. Right now, the smell of rich blood and gun smoke was beginning to stir his blood. His body thrummed with an energy that needed to be expended and with no further thought of his safety, he leapt out of the shadows and reached for the nearest guard. As his teeth sunk into warm flesh, his eyes glowed with satisfaction and relief.

He was finally killing again.

* * *

Tsume growled in disbelief. What the fuck was Sykes doing? It was clear that they had messed up the plan and all they could do now was drive the trucks out of this madhouse and towards the warehouse. He had already seen a few of their teammates killed during the skirmish and Tsume wondered just how many of them were left. Without turning around, he reached for the guard that had sneaked up on him, strong fingers wrapping around his neck – tight...tighter still. He felt the bones crunch beneath the pressure, the man's gurgled sounds of death as he clung on for a last few moments of precious air. But a final twist had him dangling limply from Tsume's hand. He was dropped unceremoniously and promptly forgotten. Just another damned statistic in this bloodbath.

"Shit!" One of the delivery trucks was already beginning to make its way out of the port and as Tsume looked closely, he could see that it was Sykes in the driver's seat. The slimy bastard had every intention of leaving him here.

"Sykes, you son of a bitch!" Tsume bellowed as he began to run after it. The redhead's mocking laughter reached his ears and Tsume felt his very soul aflame with fury. He growled – a sound unlike any thing remotely human. His eyes flashed with hate, his lips parted in a snarl to reveal deadly fangs that could pierce through the thickest of skins. He was going to kill Sykes and have his satisfaction. There was no way he was going to let that bastard go free.

Leaping over dead bodies, dodging bullets that still flew over his head, Tsume's mind was on one thing and one thing only. He ran and leapt between crates as the truck continued its mad maneuver between other cars, hardly caring for anything in its path. Sykes sat behind the wheel looking insane and wild. His blue eyes looked too big for his drawn face and his laughter maniacal.

"Haha! Gotcha there, Tsume, you fuck! I'm gonna take this to the boss and get all the money! You hear me, you sick fucker! It's all mine now!"

"Tina! Marla! Jake! Tommy! They are all dead, Sykes!" Tsume yelled as he ran alongside the truck. "Everyone's dead because of you and your lousy plan! I'm gonna make sure you join them soon, you asshole!"

"See you in hell too, buddy boy!!" Sykes screamed in laughter as he held up the small black and round object.

Tsume barely saw it coming. He had been so blinded by his anger that it took his senses much longer than necessary to see that it was a hand grenade. He watched in mortification as Sykes pulled out the ignition with his teeth and threw it towards him.

_Oh, fuck._

He wouldn't be able to get away in time. So this was how he was going to die – by the hands of some crazy asshole, who he had never liked to begin with. He tried to stop himself from running and watched in horror as the looming sea beckoned. That was his only option. He would have to jump into the icy waters if he hoped to survive. And just as he thought his feet would never cooperate with him, he felt strong arms around his waist and the force of another warm body pushing him away from the grenade and towards safety.

_Kiba...?!_

The water was like a thousand icy needles piercing through their skin as they dove deeper into the inky depths. The explosion that followed seconds afterwards caused the water to roil in turbulent waves around them. Debris – both wood and metal (and sharp ones at that) swam around them, forcing them to dive even deeper to escape from being injured. Kiba released Tsume quickly and began to point towards their left. Understanding Kiba's reasoning, Tsume nodded in response and began to swim as fast as his legs could take him.

They broke to the surface minutes later, both gasping and panting for precious air as they stared about them wildly. Kiba pushed wet hair away from his eyes and stared at the dock which was now in flames. Sykes' grenade had done a whole lot more damage than once thought.

"Fuck," Tsume cursed softly as he shook his head and pounded the water with his fist. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

Kiba remained silent, understanding that Tsume had every right to be upset with a failed mission. The other's anger was tangible.

"And just what in the hell were you doing here in the first place?!" Tsume asked deciding to turn his anger on the silent man beside him. He hated it! Hated the fact that this whole thing had been a total screw-up! Hated the fact that Sykes had managed to survive! Hated the fact that he had almost died like a dog! And worst of all was that this man – this man, who was slowly driving him crazy – had shown up from nowhere to _rescue_ him! How embarrassing was that?!

"Consider it a repay of the favor," Kiba replied quietly. His legs were beginning to ache from threading water for so long now. "We owe each other nothing now." He finally turned to meet Tsume's furious gaze. "Would you like us to go to shore? We might get bitten by sharks...or something."

Tsume blinked at the dumb statement, not sure if he ought to laugh or throttle Kiba for acting so naïve after all of that. But as he watched Kiba begin to swim away, he decided to hold back his thoughts for another time. He would get to know all about this man someday.

Even if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

Kiba's sneakers made wet, squelching sounds as he walked and he was beginning to shiver from the whole debacle. He was incredibly tired now and longed for someplace warm to sleep for the night. However, he doubted that Tsume would want him around after showing up at the port and for some reason that thought made his heart ache with a pain he couldn't understand.

_How stupid. You just met him today and you already wish for him to accept you for what you are. _

_But I can't help it_, his mind cried at the rational thought. _He smells...he's...just like me..._

"Ooofff!"

"Watch where you're going," Tsume grumbled as he tore himself away from Kiba's touch with an effort. He had been feeling cold, but just those hands upon him – for just one glorious moment – had felt like hot fire on his skin. They stopped at the intersection between Tsume's home and the highway and Tsume found himself gritting his teeth again in his dilemma. He wanted Kiba to stay and yet, he didn't want it to seem as if he were that desperate for his company.

"You should get out of those wet clothes," he began and then kicked himself for how suggestive that sentence had been. But he had already thrown the gauntlet and it was time to finish up the challenge. "If you want to come back to my place...you're free to do so."

And sinking his hands into the pockets of his pants, he shrugged in dismissal and began to walk away. For a moment, nothing was heard except for Tsume's boots crunching upon the pavement. He could feel something cold and hard sink to his stomach and he recognized that as disappointment. Perhaps it had been too much to ask for Kiba to stay with him.

But to his surprise, the squelching sounds of Kiba's sneakers soon reached his ears and to his inner chagrin and slight embarrassment, he felt a responding smile (hidden from Kiba's view) come to his visage.

* * *

Tsume's jacket and shirt were stripped off almost as soon as he stepped through the front door. Kiba watched – while wondering why his cheeks were a bit hot – as Tsume rolled up the wet clothes in tight ball and tossed them into the bathroom. The black boots were kicked off impatiently and now, Tsume stood in the middle of the living room, dressed in only his tight leather pants with his back turned to Kiba.

"What are you waiting for?" he growled. "There's the bathroom. Go change in there. Here..."

He opened up his closet to pull out a dark blue t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. Kiba barely caught them or the prominent scar that was in the shape of an X upon Tsume's chest. His eyes widened in curiosity but one cold look from Tsume had him turning away and walking into the bathroom.

As Kiba closed the door behind him, he realized with concern that the door was made out of glass – well, not glass but a sort of plexiglass that was hazy. He could vaguely see Tsume moving about outside, but he wasn't sure if the other could see him as well. Not that it mattered whether Tsume saw him naked or not. He wasn't ashamed of his body. Why should he? Happy with his inner pep talk, Kiba shrugged out of his jacket and began to pull his wet t-shirt over his head.

* * *

Tsume opened up the can of beer and drank thirstily. He gave a light belch after almost drinking half of the can and then made the mistake of glancing towards the bathroom and Kiba's silhouette as he undressed.

He watched in hypnotic fascination as Kiba hopped from one foot to the other to remove his pants. Tsume bit his lower lip, his fingers tightening around the cold can of beer as he watched Kiba's erection spring free from the confines of his cloth.

_Are you kidding me? The guy wears no underwear?!_

Fuck.

He paced restlessly and took another hurried gulp of his beer, swallowing tightly as he watched Kiba turn around in confusion for a moment. The younger man was clearly naked now and his physique was amazing. Strong but slender shoulders led to a tapered waist and well toned torso. His hips were just as slim. He was clearly well-endowed and his legs looked lean and strong. Tsume imagined them wrapped around his waist. He imagined Kiba's hands upon his flesh again and he groaned in dismay.

He shouldn't have invited Kiba home. This was a mistake through and through. He didn't go about chasing stray men on the streets. His tastes had ranged from blond, vivacious women to redheaded vivacious women. He had no time for guys let alone one like Kiba, whose scent was now beginning to have an effect on his psyche in more ways than one.

He realized with growing panic that his breathing was becoming harsher and shallower. It was still relatively cool in his apartment, but he was sweating again. His fingers clenched and unclenched tightly. His eyes (unbeknownst to him) had become narrowed slits of golden heat. He wasn't sure of what was going on – on why the need to have Kiba was so strong, but he'd be damned if he gave in to this madness.

"FUCK!" He paced to the window and threw it open, allowing the fresh cool night air to brush against his fevered skin. He vaguely heard the bathroom door opening and closing, but he clenched his hands around the window sill a bit tighter than before. The tightness in his groin was becoming unbearable. He had to think of revenge on his dead friends. He had to find Sykes and kill his cheating ass but here he was wondering what it would feel like to have Kiba at his mercy – screaming out his name over and over again in pure abandon or in the throes of passion.

"So..." Kiba began quietly as he sat down on the floor and crossed his legs. "I guess you have a million and one questions to ask me, Tsume."

He shifted his position as his gaze strayed to the smooth curve of Tsume's rear trapped beneath the tight cloth. He coughed self-consciously, lowered his lashes and forced his attention on the tatami mats next to his feet. The tension and silence between them was becoming a bit uncomfortable and hoping to relieve it a little, Kiba invited softly.

"Ask me anything, Tsume and I'll do my best to satisfy your curiosity..."

TBC....


	4. Diabolical Decisions

**Notes:** W00t! My muses are around that much is for sure. /grin/ See how fast I'm getting these chapters out? Much, much thanks to you, who took the time to leave a comment! MeLaiya, lil mi1, bittersweetmisha and fallenharbinger.

Dominic Shade – Sankyuu! Why don't they know they are wolves? I guess I'd like to think that after the first world was destroyed, they came back to this new world with no real recollection of what they really are. They slowly develop these wolf instincts and if you read this chapter, you'll notice some things slowly coming to light.

B.Fox – I luff you! /hugs/ That review completely and totally made my…month! I'm ashamed to admit that I was beginning to doubt my writing at some point, but you've really given me the highest praise yet and for that I'm extremely grateful. I hope I can continue to maintain the level of writing you expect from me! XD

Leigh (Lee) - /tackle hugs/ I'm your biggest fan now! I look forward to your reviews as well./grins/ I doubt the plot will be as simple now that I've introduced a few more characters into the story. So we'll wait and see what happens, ne?

/snugs the readers/ Thanks so much for reading and enjoy! I value your feedback!

**Warning:** Lime and mild violence.

* * *

**Part Three:**

**Diabolical Decisions:**

_"…no one knows exactly why the fights began at Port __Victoria__ earlier this evening. Police and Federal Investigators are patrolling the scenes at this time and neither heads of the departments have spoken to the Press about the incident. One can only speculate that it was yet another act of senseless terrorism…"_

The electronic screen went blank with an emphatic click from the remote control. In the large, spacious and quite lavish room, the burly man sat behind the desk like a statue carved out of bronze. His dark eyes were hidden behind matching sunglasses – which was understandable considering how extremely well-lit the room was. Large hands covered in silk white kid-gloves came together to form a tent before his face. He was in his late forties and yet his mustache and beard were as white as snow – quite a sharp contrast to his raven shoulder-length locks. Standing behind him with backs to a landscape window, were two huge men dressed in black robes from head to toe. Their shaved heads shone like domes beneath a brilliant sun as they stared unseeingly at the quivering man kneeling before them.

Besides the large desk, which was made out of solid oak that had been imported (and made to his specifications) from Champagne Ardennes, there was the stupendous presence of an exact replica of the fireplace which could be found in the Palace of Versailles in France. It was a huge thing that seemed to take up an entire section of the salon. Carved in sarrocanolin marble, it was clearly the Boss's favorite piece of architecture and many a day had been spent showing it off to important guests and clients.

However, the Boss was not very happy at the moment. A plan had been foiled and now he had only this quivering mass of an excuse for a human at his feet groveling for forgiveness. He sighed and rubbed a gloved finger across his forehead in exasperation. This would teach him to rely on Inners for help.

"This was a rather important job, Sykes," he began coolly. His voice boomed around the room like a rumbling echo, even though he wasn't even speaking at his loudest. But the danger and ice beneath that tone was not lost on Sykes, who prostrated even lower in deepest apology.

"I know, sir. I know it well, sir," he whimpered. His voice was muffled as his face was almost plastered against the plush red carpet.

However, a resounding slam upon the desk had everyone in the room; yes even the once still figures of his bodyguards, starting in surprise. A thunderous scowl was upon the Boss's face and he was literally trembling in his fury.

"You know! You know?! You know that you've made me lose over ten million dollars in the space of an hour?! They told me that you were the best at what you do and I fucking believed them! And now you come sniveling to me with only one truck that doesn't even contain the right things!!"

For emphasis, he reached into the silver trolley that had been wheeled in earlier and pulled out a handful of imitation pearl necklaces and silver lame cloth.

"This!! Is this my crate of opium?! Is this my crate of angel dust, you lousy fuck?!!"

Sykes was beginning to wish that he could sink even lower into the carpet. He had to save his hide and there was no other way to do this than to…

"It's his fault, sir!" he suddenly yelled in desperation as he lifted his tearful gaze to the angry man. "It's all his fault! I hadn't given the signal yet and he went charging and got all the guards to notice us! He's always screwing whatever missions I get him involved in, sir! But they told me that I could rely on him…"

"Shut the fuck up! Trying to put the blame on someone else now, are you?! You miserable piece of….SHIT!!"

No one had seen him move. For a man this big, the Boss was incredibly light on his feet and in mere seconds, he had planted a heavy black boot upon Sykes's head, while shoving a .22 rifle into his nose. Sykes's eyes widened in fear, his mouth a silent O, even as it began to fill with blood from the pressure inflicted upon his skull. His nostrils felt as if they were going to be torn apart and he stared through shimmering depths at the snarling man above him.

"Pl…please…" he gurgled helplessly, knowing that death was only seconds away. "His…his…name is Tsume…lives in the…corner of…Mecca and West….Tsume…"

The single gunshot exploded with a shower of blood and pieces of flesh soon after. It sprayed upon the Boss's expensive suit, face and sunglasses. Even his shiny new boots were messed up with the remnants of Sykes. And let's not even talk about his carpet and the furnishings. Snorting lightly to himself, he pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face gently, watching idly as his bodyguards moved in quickly to dispose of the body…or what remained of it.

"Get me, Blue!" he barked coldly as he marched towards the window. He crossed his hands behind his back and stared out into the city's nightline. He would have to get rid of all evidence that related directly to his involvement with the illegal shipments tonight. He couldn't have his name and reputation ruined because of a few useless Inners. He growled and took off his glasses, wincing as he removed the black contact lenses from his eyes. It was becoming a pain to keep wearing them.

The sudden smell of sweet jasmine infiltrated his senses and he gave a feral grin in response as he noticed the reflection of the stunning female standing behind him. His eyes now golden, flashed with excitement as he licked his lips and bared his fangs.

"I've got a new job for you, Blue," he said thickly. "You will be visiting a little place between Mecca and West…"

* * *

_"Ask me anything, Tsume and I'll do my best to satisfy your curiosity…"_

Tsume closed his eyes at the invitation – so simple yet so damn…

…teasing…

…wrong…

…sinful…

He shook his head rapidly, angry at himself for losing his self-control so quickly. For all he knew, Kiba could be a male prostitute - although that excuse did seem a bit far-fetched. Gigolos didn't usually hang around during the daytime trying to chew people up for lunch. However, it wasn't uncommon to see young men, desperate for food and shelter, whore themselves like cheap sluts to anyone willing to pay for their services. A quick blow job or a good hard fuck was all they needed to get them through. Tsume had been accosted by such people before, so it wasn't that strange. He was sure, however, that if Kiba was really one of them, many would pay thousands to be with a man as beautiful as he was. Kiba could easily make over five hundred dollars a night with a face and body like that.

_Well, you have him here with you, so why don't you make a move?_ A voice teased within his head, causing him to growl softly.

_Bad idea,_ another warned. _You never know what he might do…_

_Yeah, but…it wouldn't hurt to just find out if he really is one or not…_

"Tsume?" Kiba called out softly. Tsume all but jumped out of his skin as he felt Kiba's hands upon his shoulder. He hadn't even heard Kiba move and needless to say his reaction was swift and almost ruthless. He seized Kiba's wrist in a death grip and all but slammed him against a wall. However, Kiba's soft cry of surprise was swallowed by Tsume's tongue thrusting deep and hungrily into his mouth. Kiba's eyes widened in shock at the sensation of the hot length and he arched in response to Tsume's thigh pushing his apart to press him even tighter against the wall.

Instincts rose deep within him.

To fight back.

To rip. Tear. Bite. Crush and destroy his opponent.

To taste. To feel. Melt…melting…into a hot puddle of molten heat.

Tsume ground his hips roughly and Kiba's lashes fluttered closed as his once limp hand soon found Tsume's shoulder to hold onto tightly. Tsume's hands slid up Kiba's waist and beneath the shirt to feel hard but smooth skin – precious, _precious _skin. Someone groaned as both tongues finally met in a wanton dance of lust. Heartbeats pounded fiercely. Minds becoming hazy images of want, desire and…

"Fuck…fuck…Jesus fucking Christ," Tsume muttered thickly as he pulled away so fast that he almost lost his footing. He didn't want to look, but he couldn't help it. Kiba was still against the wall. His shirt almost bunched up to his chest, revealing a well-toned torso. There was the teasing peek of a dusky nipple and Tsume shivered as he staggered away trying desperately to even his harsh breathing. Kiba's lips were moist and swollen; a small trail of saliva fell to his jaw like a sinful reminder of his succulent taste. The younger man's face was flushed, his eyes a glazed hue of longing. His thighs were still parted rather seductively and Tsume would have been a fool not to have noticed the bulging tent within Kiba's shorts. It didn't help that his own pants were now so tight, he could barely walk. Unfortunately, Tsume knew he would have to control it…now or never.

He was disappointed and wasn't sure why. He should have been happy that Kiba had responded but yet…

_It means he is one of them,_ he thought with a groan as he reached for a new t-shirt to slip over his head hurriedly. _He's just a fucking whore…but yet…_

He stole another look at Kiba, noticing that the other man had now turned his face away as if in shame. For some insane reason, Tsume suddenly felt the need to apologize. He had been the one at fault, if one really wanted to look at it. He had taken Kiba by surprise and he was extremely lucky he hadn't been hit or something by now.

He couldn't stay here a moment longer.

"Will you be gone all night?" Kiba asked flatly, his voice a muffled sound behind the hair that hid his face from view.

Tsume turned away and placed a hand upon the doorknob. "I don't know. Don't bother waiting up."

And without another word, he stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind him with a resounding slam.

Kiba waited for a few minutes until he was sure that Tsume was out of the building before sliding down the wall and to the floor in exhaustion. His legs had been trembling through it all and it was a miracle he had been able to stand for that long without giving away his inner weakness and distress. He wrapped his arms around his raised knees and buried his face within them with a small whimper of agony.

When would he ever learn?

He had a feeling he had been hurt like this before, but when? And by whom? How he wished he could remember most of his past. Maybe then, he would finally learn how to be more in control of his turbulent emotions especially when it came to dealing with a man like Tsume.

His lips and body still burned from the older man's touch and as he curled into a ball in the corner of the room, Kiba realized with a faint pang that he wanted – oh, so badly - to feel and taste Tsume…all over again.

* * *

Morning in the city was a far cry for the muffled activities of the night. By seven, most of its inhabitants were up and about, ready to begin a day of commerce and capitalism. Men and women of all ages, sizes and skin tone paraded the streets, with cell phones stuck to their ears and lips moving at a mile a minute. They had deadlines to catch, meetings and conferences to attend, power breakfasts and lunches to be had, asses to be kissed and in some cases, sexual favors to be granted. Yes, this was the Main City for you, but in the ghetto, the Inners had a different morning ritual. For you see, mornings in the Slums were a time for the 'vampires' of the night to call it a day.

The sight of yellow school buses on its last wheels rolled into the narrow streets to pick up the few kids who dared to show their faces. This was a rare occurrence indeed as most inhabitants in the Slums hardly cared for education. It was a necessary evil and many tried to steer away from it.

The streets themselves were shadows of their former selves. Littered with debris from parties held the night before, only a few government workers and an old man or woman could be seen sweeping up the mess as best as they could. The derelicts could be found sleeping on some doorsteps and the owners of the homes did not have the willpower to chase them off for they too were shut within the welcome confines of their havens.

Dieter Schuwald, a balding and portly fifty-year old, yawned wearily as he stepped out of the backroom and into the main floor of his bar. He grumbled as he noticed the few men still left in there. At least they were all asleep, he thought with another yawn as he scratched his stomach gently and reached for his prodding stick. It was a steel pole that he used to wake up the late night stragglers who were either too drunk to leave his bar or had no home to go to. The familiar faces he could make out, as he walked carefully over a few sprawled bodies on the floor, and it would be easy to kick their asses out of here.

"Hmm?" He blinked and rubbed his eyes carefully, not sure if he was seeing things or not. "Tsume?" He called out in surprise as he saw that it was indeed the young man who was seen as a figure of respect around these parts. Tsume had visited his bar lots of times in the past, but to see him in this state…it was a bit strange to say the least.

He was just about to prod the sleeping man, who was cradling an empty bottle of Jack Daniels against his chest, with the pole, when the cool but clear voice stopped him.

"Leave the wolf alone."

Dieter started and spun around quickly. He hadn't even heard the man come in! For standing in his doorway was the tall and rather stately figure of his visitor. The man had long black hair that fell over his shoulders and down his back. There was a black patch over an eye and the exposed was a steady blue that bore down on the bartender. He was dressed in a smart gray business suit and had both hands sunk deep into the pockets of his pants.

Wolf? Had this guy just said that Tsume was a… _wolf?_

Dieter might have been shorter and rather on the heavy side, but he was definitely not going to let this city guy talk down to him like this! And besides, Tsume was one of them – an Inner. He wasn't going to let the Outers come by to take him away. With a growl, he planted himself between the approaching man and Tsume while brandishing his pole like a weapon.

"Whoever the fuck you are, you get ready to leave my bar right now! I ain't taking no….argh!!"

He barely knew what hit him as he found himself crashing against the counter with a force that sent several bottles tumbling off the shelves behind him. The pain was blinding and he had only a moment to see his visitor walk over another body to reach for Tsume. Dieter tried to reach for something to at least throw at the looming figure, but he couldn't feel his arms anymore. He then tried to open his mouth to scream out in warning but something red, hot and thick flooded his vision and with a gurgling sound of despair, he slowly sunk into merciful darkness.

Tsume's lashes stirred for a moment. His brows knit in a light frown and he shifted a little on the chair. He could hear noises…a commotion of some sort and then…the scent.

_Someone…like me…_

Kiba? Was Kiba here?!

Kiba, who had tasted like sweet cinnamon and hot spice. Kiba, who had made his insides churn with heat and a passion that he had never thought he could experience.

"Ki…Kiba…" he muttered thickly as he opened up his eyes slowly. For a moment, nothing seemed to make sense to him, but as his vision became clearer he found himself staring into something endlessly blue and rather hypnotic.

"You're finally awake, my dear beast," the man greeted with a smile that didn't quite reach his visible eye.

_No,_ Tsume thought quickly as he tried to sit up. Fuck! If only he hadn't drunk so much the night before, his head wouldn't be aching like hell right now. He could see clearly now and what he saw, he didn't like. He tried to get to his feet, but the man was much quicker and was already pointing two very sharp and long fingernails at Tsume's jugular.

"One move, my precious beast and I won't hesitate to make you bleed to death," he whispered thickly into Tsume's ear, causing the silver-haired man to shiver in response. "You will take me to the other one who is with you for my mistress requires his presence."

"Your…your mistress?" Tsume asked with a light frown, wondering if he could break this guy's neck, if he could will his nerves to work for him. He should have known alcohol and its after effects were not a good thing to experience first thing in the morning. "Who…is…?"

"Oy! Dieter! You awake, man?!"

Both men turned towards the new voice as they watched the silhouette of a man standing outside the front door. Tsume thought of screaming to create a decoy, but the man's hand had already slapped a hand over his mouth, forcing Tsume to glare in fury at the power this strange guy had over him.

"Oy! Dieter!" Another figure joined and now there were two men. Obviously, the stranger did not like the sudden turn of events and with a fierce tug on Tsume's arm, he motioned for them to leave through the back door.

"Don't try anything funny either, wolf or I'll kill you, understand?"

Wolf? Who was this guy calling a wolf?! And what did he…_they_ want with Kiba? As they stepped into the back alley, Tsume's eyes widened as he noticed the waiting black sedan parked serenely beside a pile of garbage. It was so out of place in this dingy hellhole, it was almost ridiculous.

"Please step inside," the man invited with a small bow, almost mocking in his smooth movement. "My mistress waits."

Tsume snarled and got a strange whiff of strong wild orchids, while eyeing the tease of blond wavy hair before stepping into the car. He told himself he was only doing this to find out about these people and what they could want with Kiba.

_Wolf._

"Welcome," the woman behind the mask greeted serenely. "My precious, beautiful beast…"

* * *

Kiba opened up his eyes wearily, blinking slowly as a combination of sunlight streaking in through the windows and a dull pounding on the door had him wincing in response. He sat up carefully and winced again as his lower back protested the movement. He scratched his head gently, ruffling his already tousled locks as he stared at the door dumbly for a moment.

Someone was here. Someone to see Tsume perhaps. What was he to do?

The incessant pounding continued and he finally rose to his feet with a soft sigh and a yawn.

"Coming, coming," he muttered quickly, almost stumbling over his sneakers as he tried to walk as fast as he could to open it.

"Can I hel…," he began as he lifted his gaze to stare into smiling blue and quite beautiful eyes. His breath caught and the words he had planned to say remained lodged somewhere in his throat.

"Tsume, I presume?" the woman said in a smooth, low voice that dripped with pure sex. She was dressed in a short black coat dress with a red scarf around her neck. Long, knee high boots, over shapely legs and thighs, finished the conservative ensemble and tousled dark blue hair upon her head gave her a boyish but playful air.

Kiba was just about to open up his mouth to say that he wasn't Tsume, when her scent hit him like a ton of bricks. His eyes widened and he felt his neck prickle with awareness. A low growl escaped his throat, eyes narrowing with wariness as he bared his teeth, which in turn caused Blue to smile in response.

"What a beautiful creature you are," she crooned in delight as she raised a gloved hand to caress his cheek gently. "But I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me now, Tsume."

Before Kiba could lunge to attack, he felt something sharp pierce through his neck. The effect of the drug was immediate and he could feel his senses dull into nothing as he slumped into her waiting arms like a rag doll.

"You will make a fine meal for my master," she said with a wide grin as she allowed the two bodyguards to take him away. She closed the door to Tsume's apartment carefully behind her and followed with a soft hum on her lips.

This was one of her easier assignments yet.

**TBC…**


	5. Dances With Wolves

First off a huge thank you to the AWESOME reviews I've gotten from you kickass readers! I'm simply blown away by the comments and praise this story's gotten and so happy to see all the Tsume/Kiba fans showing their support! Yay! We'll convert a few more people yet. /lol/.

And now to answer the questions that were thrown at me the last time. Here goes!

I like it (yes that was what you signed with) – If you read this chapter, I'm sure your question will be answered. /smile/

Pinkishy Baobao – The characters are a bit OOC because they are no longer the same people you see in the current show…at least in this timeline. /smile/ Hehe, cute and fluffy at the end? We can only hope!

Leigh (Lee) – Yay! It's my favorite reviewer! /lol/ Thanks again for your awesome comments! I'll try my hardest to keep it entertaining enough for you. /hugs/

B.Fox – W00t! More encouragement from you makes me happy! And nope! The guy who picks up Tsume is definitely not the same as the one who whacked off Sykes. Hopefully, this chapter clears that part up. /hugs/

Morganna! – Permission to camp outside your home for all eternity. I think I pimped off your review/crit in my LJ because it was definitely the longest and most well-detailed one I've gotten…ever! It made me feel really good inside and honored that my stories can inspire such reactions from others. I enjoy writing and only hope it translates with those who take the time to read my stuff. If I can achieve that, then that's the greatest reward an author can get. All your questions will be answered in this chapter. And as for Darcia being paired with a wolf…well…I've always liked to see a Darcia/Kiba pairing, so who knows? Tsume might have some competition! /lol/

Also much thanks to fallenharbinger, shini-neko-chan and lil'mi1! Thank you guys so much and now without much further ado…enjoy!

Warnings: Angst, mild violence.

**Part Four**

**Dances with Wolves**

The woman's scent permeated the air like thick fog on a cold morning. Overwhelming and sinfully fragrant, it filled Tsume's senses and into the very pores of his skin as he struggled not to give a low whimper in response. No, it wasn't a whimper of weakness per se, but more of a gut reaction to the scent that reeled off her. Some deep animalistic instinct within him longed to reach out to her, to taste or lick her pale skin – perhaps a bite or two would suffice. For his part, he longed to feel her slender hands upon his now feverish skin. He wanted, no _needed_ her to touch, stroke and caress him. He felt extremely hot and flustered but gritting his teeth in determination, he struggled not to let it show.

It was rather disconcerting to suddenly be the center of attention. Behind her gold mask which covered only her eyes from view, Tsume could feel himself being scrutinized and dissected like a rare insect. The driver of the car was apparently the man who had so kindly led him to the car in the first place. The long hair that he had once thought black inside the bar; was instead a dark sheen of blue. Tsume watched with mild fascination as he began to maneuver the vehicle out of the narrow alley as if already accustomed to such an act.

"Where do we head to now?" the man asked quietly but firmly.

For a minute or two, the woman said nothing as if contemplating a suitable course for action. Finally,

"We will head over to his place to pick up the white wolf. I do not really need this one, but I guess he will have to do as a suitable replacement if things do not go as planned."

Tsume gave a low growl of irritation at the dismissal. How dare they disregard him as nothing important? It was obvious that she was only after Kiba and for a moment, Tsume could feel a low coil of jealousy weave its way up the pit of his stomach.

"What do you want with him?" he asked tightly. "And what makes you think I'll take you to my place to get him?"

"Oh?" The woman's full red lips curved into a knowing smile. "Do you already have affections for him?"

"Fuck that!" Tsume bellowed, mildly aware of the flush of embarrassment that had come to his cheeks at the speculation. "This isn't about me and Kiba! I want to know…"

"Why?" came the soft question.

Tsume was almost tempted not to answer but his curiosity was getting the better of him. "You called me a wolf," he began in a tight voice. "Why would you call me that? You almost make me seem as if I'm an…animal."

"A beast," the woman corrected in a low croon as she moved closer to place a cold hand beneath Tsume's jaw. "A beautiful magnificent beast."

She caressed his lower lip gently, her long pink tinted fingernails scraping gently against his skin as he reluctantly parted his lips to let them wander in. His breathing seemed to be getting heavier by the second. Her close proximity was overpowering. He could see each fine hair on her flawless skin. He watched in fascination as her tongue peeked out to lick her lips slowly. She was saying something and he could barely understand a word. Tsume had a vague notion that he was being hypnotized or was drugged by her very perfume and he was completely powerless to stop it.

"I can smell him all over you," she continued in a husky whisper as she moved even closer. Her lips were now mere inches from Tsume's and her well-endowed bosom was beginning to press tightly against his body forcing a certain region below his waist to react in more ways than one.

"You must have touched him last night."

Tsume had the grace to flush at the memory of Kiba's lips and the feel of that strong, sinewy length of Kiba's body pressed tightly against his.

No…oh no. He didn't need _that _now.

"You've done your part by making him a little bit vulnerable," she was saying in that same husky whisper. "For some time now we have hunted for the white wolf who will lead us back to Paradise."

"Pa…paradise?" Tsume asked in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

The woman pulled back to laugh heartily. It was a rich sound that reverberated within the automobile. "He asks what I mean, Darcia, my love."

The man behind the wheel gave a small nod, but Tsume could see the wry smile upon Darcia's lips as he glanced into the rearview mirror. "It seems like they are even more naïve than we thought, my Lady Jagara."

Lady Jagara and Darcia. Tsume memorized the names and tested their weight on his tongue. They were clearly Outers. No Inner could have such noble names like these or be this wealthy. However, their cryptic words about Paradise and Kiba's connection to it were beginning to worry him in more ways than one.

"We are here, my lady," Darcia announced as the car pulled up to Tsume's apartment building. If the silver-haired man was surprised that they knew his home, he made to qualms to show it.

"What…?"

"I did tell you that we have been keeping a close eye on him," Jagara explained softly. "We have always known his whereabouts…"

"So why didn't you get him since?" Tsume growled. "You just waited for him to…"

"To find another of his kind," the blonde agreed with a knowing smile. "But also to figure out why we've been unable to 'reach' him since last night. Apparently, he must have changed his clothes."

At Tsume's frown, Darcia explained. "His outfit was specifically catered for him, although he does not know it. But that is not important now. We need him to come with you and since he must trust you a bit, you will bring him down to us."

"And If I don't?"

Darcia's lips curled into a cruel smile while Jagara's humorless laughter caused his head to ache.

"Oh, but you will, Tsume, my dear," Jagara coaxed softly as she lifted up her long black skirt to reveal a gun unlike any Tsume had seen before. It was secured around her upper thigh with a black and rather sexy garter. "This is no ordinary weapon, my feisty beast for one shot of this will take your life faster than you can think. Now go…go bring me the one I want and I just might spare your life."

Tsume gave a light snort and stepped out of the car. The gust of cold wind that hit him was a refreshing reprieve from Jagara's intoxicating scent. Without a second glance, he began to stride towards his building, eyes narrowed with thoughts of how to convince Kiba to run away with him.

Fuck! I can't believe I'm actually trying to help this guy who's now making my life a living hell!

He knew that Darcia was already following him. It was clear that those two did not trust him and for a moment, Tsume allowed a cold smile on his features. They were no fools that much was certain. However, as he walked up the stairs, he felt a cold prickle of worry creep up his spine. There was something not right about the atmosphere and it had nothing to do with the musty smell that always filled these dingy staircases. There was a mingle of scents within those – a smell that vaguely reminded him of raw meat and soft lilac.

His footsteps quickened and soon enough, he was leaping up the stairs two at a time. He all but threw the door to his apartment open and one glance was enough to tell him that things were just as he had imagined.

"Kiba…?" he called out softly, but then a bit louder. "Kiba!"

"He's not here," Darcia growled softly as he let himself into the room to eye the small surroundings with slight disdain. He pushed open the bathroom door and reached for Kiba's clothes. With a grunt of impatience, he tossed them away again and stepped into the living room to glare icily at Tsume. "Where is he?!"

"How the fuck should I know?!" Tsume bellowed in fury. "You were the ones following him, how come you can't figure out where he is now?!"

But he was concerned. _More_ than concerned. Kiba wouldn't leave his apartment with only a pair of shorts and a t-shirt in this weather. It didn't look as if there had been a struggle either. The futon Kiba must have slept in still lay on the floor and as Tsume sniffed the air lightly, he made out the scent of another.

"Someone…" he muttered thickly. "Someone else came here…" He stalked towards the door, trying to retrace Kiba's steps as he shoved Darcia aside rudely. "At the door…he or she…more she…feminine smell…Kiba…opens the door…and she…goddamnit!" He slammed a fist into the wall, ignoring the well of pain that shot up his arm or the small trickle of blood that smeared the wall he had just punched.

What kind of power had this person had over one as strong as Kiba? How could the proud man let his guard down so much to be taken away so easily?

"You!" He suddenly barked coldly as he pointed towards Darcia. "You! You know something about this and you'll take me to him!"

Darcia snarled and took a threatening step towards Tsume. He had no problems showing his dislike for the uncontrollable man and had always doubted Jagara's decision to have Tsume tag along. Since Kiba wasn't around, Darcia knew he would take great pleasure in destroying Tsume.

"You are no longer of any use to us, Tsume," he began coldly as he pulled out the gun that Tsume had noticed strapped to Jagara's thighs earlier from his jacket. "With Kiba missing…"

"He might end up as good bait," came the blonde's smooth voice as she walked into the apartment. She was even taller than Tsume had expected and the slinky long black skirt and matching strapless top revealed a slender body that could rival any models'. "But better yet…look at who I found loitering 'conveniently' outside on the streets."

She tugged a leash that Tsume hadn't noticed earlier and stumbling into the room, with a rather sheepish look on his face, was a slightly portly man with shaggy brown hair. He was dressed in an ugly orange sweatshirt and loose gray sweatpants with sneakers that looked like they had seen better days. Tsume could feel Darcia stiffen beside him and he raised a brow in question.

"Say hello to Hige, Tsume. He's one of our trusted detectives although he has been missing for quite a while. I'm sure he'll be able to find Kiba for us in time. And yes, you guessed it," she continued with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "He's just like you. A wolf…albeit a lazy one."

Hige opened up his mouth to protest, but the leash was tugged again and he fell to his knees trying to catch his breath. Tsume watched the proceedings with a bitter taste welling within his mouth.

_Just like a dog,_ he thought as he clenched his hands into tight fists. _We are being used as nothing but common dogs._

And he hated it with a passion.

The sounds were faint at first, but gradually grew louder as Kiba opened up his eyes slowly. His lashes felt incredibly heavy and his vision was blurry and unfocused. It took him another minute to realize that he was shivering with cold and that he could barely feel his arms or legs anymore. He tried to move and winced at the loud clanging sounds which followed soon after. Blinking rapidly, he tried to move his arms again and almost screamed in agony as the muscles protested the severe action. He lifted his head slowly to see that his hands were chained to either side of him. He saw that his wrists were now bleeding from the tightness of his chains. They fell in thick drops to the ground which seemed several feet below him.

He was apparently hanging from the ceiling and bleeding like a stuck pig. He tried to move again and was greeted with a soft giggle from somewhere on his left. Turning his head as quickly as he could (so as not to aggravate his already aching appendage), he stared blankly at the young boy who was sitting crossed leg on the ground and staring right back at Kiba.

He was chewing an apple and grinning with pleasure as his bright brown eyes watched Kiba's every move. His hair was a much darker brown…almost red in the faint light that filtered into the…

_A dungeon,_ Kiba thought hysterically. _I'm in a dungeon of all places. I never knew such places existed anymore._

"Hey…" He cleared his throat and tried again for his voice had come out in a thick croak. His mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool and he longed for something to drink. "Hey, you."

The boy, who had been ready to bite into his apple again, lifted his gaze in surprise. "Me? Did you call me?"

"Where am I?"

"You're Tsume, aren't you?" the boy continued as if Kiba hadn't said a word. "You made the boss really angry."

"The boss?"

"Uh huh." The boy took another bite and chewed it slowly. Spitting out the core, he rose to his feet and stretched. "Blue told me to keep an eye on you. My name's Toboe by the way."

"Are you a prisoner too, Toboe?" Kiba asked in the hopes that he could keep the boy around a little longer. He wanted to know where he was and why they kept mistaking him for Tsume.

However, Toboe's giddy laughter had Kiba frowning with impatience. "I'm not a prisoner! I'm a thief! I work for the Boss." He finished proudly as he reached into the pocket of his brown jacket. Whipping out a rather wicked looking knife, he gave another grin, this time a more feral one that looked quite out of place on his innocent features.

"I've killed before," Toboe bragged. "It wasn't fun at first, but after a while, you kinda get used to it. The Boss says I'm good at what I do…"

"How long have you been working for him?"

Toboe raised a brow. "I don't have to answer you. You're the prisoner…" His words were stalled as the door to the dungeons were thrown open to reveal the woman that had brought him here in the first place. Blue, looking even prettier than before, stalked into the room with a frown of disapproval on her features.

"Talking to him now, are you?" she asked curtly.

Toboe had the grace to blush as he tucked his knife away. "He was the one asking me questions."

Blue's frown deepened and she lifted her gaze to the man hanging above them. If she wasn't already enamored with the man that she worked for, she knew she would go after a fine specimen like this Tsume. But this was no time to admire the human. She had to bring him to the Boss's office.

Punching a button on the wall, the chain was lowered rapidly and Kiba fell to the ground in a rather painful heap. He groaned and tried to sit up but a quick snap of Blue's fingers had the two burly men that had dragged him earlier, coming in again. They dragged him along, each holding either arm as they led him out his cold cell and up a long flight of stairs that seemed to go on forever. Whatever drug Blue had pumped into his bloodstream was still making him feel incredibly weak and the way he was being treated wasn't helping him much. He was beginning to ache in places he didn't even know existed.

All too soon, a set of large gold doors were flung open and Kiba found himself standing within the ostentatious room where Sykes had met his end sometime ago. He sank to his knees as the men released him, incredibly grateful for the plush carpet that cushioned his fall. He groaned and closed his eyes, raising his hands to his head as a sharp pain ripped through it almost threatening to split it in two. It was the smell of this man – this man that was now walking up to him in long confident strides.

He felt the strong hands sink into his hair and his head was yanked up roughly. Widened teal eyes met astonished golden ones behind the dark sunglasses. He could hear the Boss give a sharp intake of breath and Kiba wondered if he was going to be killed off right there and then.

But not without a fight, he thought fiercely. Although he had a feeling his chances for survival were quite slim in his current condition.

"Interesting," came the man's soft drone as he continued to eye Kiba with a look in his eyes that was now akin to hunger. "You are quite the piece of meat, Tsume."

He licked his lips and smacked them noisily before seizing Kiba's in a wet and sloppy kiss that had everyone, especially Blue, gasping in shock. Kiba, for his part, felt the dull kindling of rage within the pit of his stomach. He had no idea where he mustered the strength from, but with a huge effort, he lifted his chained hands to shove away the bigger man roughly. He shuddered in revulsion at the lingering taste of the man's lips and the thin trail of saliva that dribbled down his chin. This was nothing compared to Tsume's demanding kiss of the night before and Kiba would be damned before he allowed anyone else to touch him.

"Haha! A fighter this one is," the older man smirked in approval. "I think he'll be much better than you, Toboe."

The young thief flushed in embarrassment and lowered his head. If Kiba felt sorry for anyone, it was for the young woman, Blue, who was doing her best to keep her expression as blank as possible. Whatever relationship this ugly bastard had with his employees, Kiba wasn't sure he wanted to know or find out.

"Hmmm, you made my business go down the drain tonight, Tsume, but I think I want to keep you around for a while."

"Like hell you will," Kiba growled in annoyance as he crouched away.

"Oh but I will, Tsume!" The man took off his glasses and Kiba sucked in a harsh breath at the pair of golden…

_A wolf!_

…eyes that glared back at him. He tried to back away and fell rather gracelessly on his ass as the older man's mocking laughter drew closer and closer.

"I will train you to become one of the best thieves in this city," the Boss crooned in delight as he placed a hand beneath Kiba's chin to hold him prisoner. "You will become my special pet and everyone knows how much I treasure things that belong to me."

Both Blue and Toboe looked hurt at the announcement but knew better than to voice their opinions to their owner. Once upon a time, they had been told the exact same words and now that new prey had been found, they realized they'd have to learn how to work with their boss's new plaything.

However, initiation was always the painful part of it all. And as they watched Kiba being lifted upon the bigger man's shoulder and taken away, they hoped he'd be able to survive the night. If not, it would only mean that Kiba would be taken out of the picture.

And that would be one less person to worry about.


	6. Desperate Measures

Ah damn it! I had written more detailed responses to your comments and thanks to my computer and its pop-up addiction, I lost it all! /is still kicking computer in frustration/.

Just know that I really, really enjoy and appreciate all your comments and feedback! This chapter is a bit longer, so hopefully it makes up for the 'shortness' of the last one. /lol/

As usual, Morganna, B.Fox, Leigh, pinkishy baobao, the mysterious 'I like it', lil mi1 and Aly, you all rock!

Oh and B.Fox, concerning the mysterious 'boss', I think it's pretty much cleared up in this chapter. I was hoping to make it Lord Orchum, but decided not to since I really didn't have much to work with when it came to him.

I promise some more Kiba/Tsume action soon! I know I'm impatient to see those two get together. /snerks/

Enjoy!

**Warnings:** Lime-ish NCS moment.

* * *

**Part Five:**

**Desperate Measures**

_"Legends also talk of wolves who know where __Paradise__ lies at the end of the world…"_

Her voice was low and sonorous over the crackling flames from the fire in the large hearth. The room itself was quite ostentatious in its furnishings but yet gloomy with only the fire as its source of light. With its décor reminiscent of the Victorian era, long cream-colored drapes covered the long glass windows and matching ones upon several small couches and chairs. Jagara sat before the fire, dressed in a long velvet red robe. The book she held in her hands trembled a little as she continued to read. Her voice rose and fell with each word, growing with passion and a wistfulness that was not lost on her companion.

There was a tray filled with sweet tea and some biscuits that had been brought in by Darcia earlier. Darcia, for his part lay upon a couch with an arm over his eyes as he listened to his mistress read. It wasn't the first time he had heard this story about the coming of the Wolves and their reign over 200 years ago. Jagara was obsessed with it and had taken to reading from the Book of Wolves since it came into her possession. Of course, she had never told him where she had gotten the book from. All she had given him was a vague response of it being passed down in her family over generations. Darcia had seen the gleam in her eyes each time and had known that she wasn't telling the truth. However, who was he to complain? Jagara had rescued him from the depths of hell and in return, he had sworn to protect her until his dying day.

_Selling my soul to the devil,_ he thought ruefully.

She closed the book with a slam and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to control her rapid breathing. It was always this way. Whenever she came to the part about the White Wolf, her entire visage and body language would be transformed into that of a woman who must have experienced the most intense orgasm. He watched warily as she arched her slender body off the chair, her lips moist and full parting with the effort of trying to breathe normally. A light sheen of sweat was upon her fair skin now and Darcia fought the urge to get off his position to wipe it off.

Several moments passed before she settled back in the chair with a soft sigh. She reached for stainless steel teacup and took a sip of the now tepid drink.

"I grow impatient, Darcia," she murmured thickly. She placed the book upon a side stool and wrung her fingers together. "I must have him. I must reach Paradise. I must see the place of my forefathers. To crave a life that I will rule completely…"

A low cry that was almost like a howl had her brows coming together in an irritated scowl. She turned a little in her seat to eye the large oak doors. Darcia sighed softly at the unspoken question.

"They are locked away as you ordered, my Lady. They will be no trouble from them."

"I certainly hope not." She settled into her chair again, but her body was tenser than before. "I need those two to bring the White Wolf to me."

"Do you have any idea of who might have him, my Lady?"

Jagara's frown deepened. "I do not know. I do not know of anyone else who could know about the Book of the Wolves and about Paradise. If there is…"

Darcia watched as the woman's lips tightened into a thin line of displeasure. It did not make her look pretty at all and he was sure that if he were a lesser man, her expression would have terrified him completely.

"…I'll make sure they never see the light of another day," she finished bitterly.

Hige moaned again and Tsume grit his teeth while counting slowly to ten in his mind. It wouldn't do to pounce on this fat bastard and choke the life out of him, but if he had to listen to Hige make that sound one more time…

* * *

"I'm dying here!"

"Like I give a fuck," Tsume retorted icily. "We were just fed…" He balked at the way those words had come out. "…an hour ago. What kind of a stomach do you have anyway?"

"You should talk," Hige replied with a light snort as he huddled in the corner as far away from the angry man as he could. "You haven't been wandering the streets all your life, having to scrap for food here and there."

He began to go into another speech about his pathetic life as Tsume rolled his eyes and stared at the stone ceiling above them. Jagara had been 'nice' enough to dump them in here after their hunt for Kiba at his apartment. Apparently, she assumed that they would be no problem to her because there had been no guard stationed outside their holding cell. Again, Tsume tried to convince himself of just being here to find out more about Kiba and their sudden relationship to wolves. However, being treated like a common dog was really beginning to grate on his nerves. He wasn't sure of what time it was now, but from the shadows that had crept in and out of their stone cell through an extremely narrow slit of an excuse for a window, Tsume had the feeling that it was already night time.

Great. A whole fucking day gone and nothing to show for it.

He wondered if Kiba had returned or if he was all right to begin with. He still couldn't believe that someone had come into his apartment just to get Kiba. Something about that didn't sound quite right.

_Perhaps they had come for me,_ he thought with a light frown as he lowered his head to stare blindly at the cold cement floor. _Whoever it is must have probably come for me and they found Kiba instead. But…who?_

He had a lot of enemies, that much was true, but everyone he had had a fight or query with had been wise enough not to show up at his place. They knew they had no chance of survival. So whoever these new guys were apparently had no problems meeting him face-to-face.

_Shit._

"Quent…Quent…"

Tsume lifted his head with a wary glance at Hige, who now seemed to be scraping at the door with something. He raised a brow.

"Just what are you mumbling to yourself about?" he asked.

Hige placed a finger against his lips and shook his head. "Shsssh! I've got to concentrate."

"Huh?"

But Hige was already focusing on his task with increased fervor. It took another second for Tsume to realize that the other man was trying to unlock the door with something. Now interested, he shifted across the floor and towards Hige.

"Are you saying that you could open this door all along and you allowed us to stay in here all this time for no reason?"

Hige shook his head lightly and replied in a voice that was almost condescending. "You don't know how these things work, do you? You don't just escape the moment you're locked in. You've gotta wait and test out the surroundings before making a move."

Tsume hated to admit that Hige was making sense but it still didn't explain a lot of things. "So…you think you can get us out of here?"

"I can try. These aren't easy locks you know." Hige stooped to his haunches again and began to fiddle with the lock with the piece of narrow wire he had retrieved from his hair earlier. "I saw it."

Tsume's eyes widened. He had a vague idea of what Hige was talking about.

Still working on the lock, Hige continued quietly. "Rather, I saw _them._ Quent's guys…two men and a girl – she was kinda hot." At Tsume's growl of impatience, he continued quickly. "Anyway, they went up to your place and they brought the guy down. He looked like he was passed out or knocked out or both. Either way, he wasn't looking too good, if you know what I mean."

Unaware of how tightly clenched his fists were, Tsume asked tightly. "Who are they? This…Quent…who is he?"

"Quent Yaiden," Hige said simply while cursing softly. The wire had pricked his finger and he stuck the bleeding digit into his mouth. "The guy owns half of the Main city and everything else in between. He could buy, sell and own anything he wanted. Word has it that he was supposed to be getting some illegal shipment of drugs the other day and as fate would have it; Port Victoria got wasted in the process. You can bet he isn't a happy camper right about now."

Hige had turned to face the lock again and failed to notice the shocked expression on Tsume's features. So his hunch was right! Those guys had come for him and had taken Kiba instead! But how? How had they known where he lived? Had Sykes ratted on him? That was the only reasonable explanation. It had to be!

"Fuck…fuck…" he muttered thickly as he ran trembling fingers through his short locks. This was all his fault. If he hadn't left Kiba alone, none of this misunderstanding would have happened. He could only imagine what the other man must be going through or thinking right now. If this Quent was as dangerous as Hige made him out to sound, then Kiba's life was in danger.

"Bingo," Hige announced with a wide grin as he pushed open the door gently. Its iron hinges seemed way too loud in the deathly silence that had surrounded them and both men winced and then held their breaths.

"Easy now," Hige pleaded as he crawled out of the room on his hands and knees. Tsume wasn't sure of why he was doing that but he was already impatient to find Kiba. With a deliberate step, he tried to walk over Hige's head, but the other man wrapped a hand around his ankle, causing Tsume to fall in an ungraceful heap next to him.

"Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Tsume growled in a harsh whisper. "Do you want to kill me?!"

"No," Hige replied just as harshly. "But it seems as if you want to kill yourself. Who knows what will happen to you if you get caught?! You can't just go bounding out of here, pal."

"I am not your pal and I'm going to find Kiba!" He made to move again, but Hige tugged him back, this time by holding on to his jacket.

"It's all nice and good that you're trying to rescue your friend, but do you even know how to reach him?"

Tsume, who had tried to escape from Hige's surprisingly strong grip, stopped at that thought. Shit, Hige was right again. He had no idea where to even start his search. He glared at the amused glint in the brown-haired man's eyes and settled down with a light snort.

"All right, you've got me there," he admitted reluctantly. "So what do we do?"

"We?" Hige looked incredulous. "I don't recall saying I was going to help you out, did I?"

"Why you…!"

"I'm not cheap, you know." Hige looked smug as he began to crawl out of room and into the narrow corridor. It was damp, dank and smelled like wet stone. "If I help you, you're gonna have to pay me…plenty."

"Don't worry," Tsume said coldly. "I'll give you what's coming to you if you don't hurry up…"

"Physical violence is not an option," Hige interrupted as he came to a stop at the small flight of stairs. He stood up and dusted his yellow sweatshirt with a wide grin. "So…partners?"

Tsume eyed the offered hand with a low growl. The urge to squeeze that offered flesh till he felt the bones crack beneath the pressure overwhelmed him, but with great effort, he accepted it with a tight smile. "Partners…but only until we find him."

Hige's grin did not waver as he released his hand. "What's he to you anyway?" And at Tsume's thunderous scowl, he waved his hand in dismissal. "Sorry, I asked. Let's go."

And as he led the way out of their dungeon, Hige was oblivious to the flush that had crept up Tsume's neck and face.

Just what indeed was Kiba to him?

_Nothing more than a pain in the ass,_ he concluded as he leapt after Hige. _Just remain alive until I find you, you bastard! I'm the only one allowed to kill you._

* * *

Darcia's eyes flew open and his brows came together in a frown. He turned his head a little to see that Jagara had fallen asleep in her chair. He turned his gaze to the window and allowed a small smirk to come to his lips.

So the wolves had escaped.

Jagara was not going to be very happy when she woke up in the morning.

* * *

Kiba groaned and opened up his eyes slowly. The first thing to hit him was the chill of the room against his naked flesh and second the smooth feel of the cloth beneath him. For a moment, nothing seemed to make sense until the sharp and pungent scent of the one person he loathed filled his nostrils. With a low growl, he scrambled up, wincing as the handcuffs around his wrists chaffed his already raw flesh. He glanced around him wildly, taking in the black and gray décor of the bedroom he had been left in.

It was a very large bedroom, with a bed that seemed to take up the entire space. Its four poster design was intricate and decadent with carved images of naked men engaged in rather lewd and promiscuous acts. Several pictures on the bedroom wall showcased the same images and Kiba could feel a reluctant swell of his cock as he clamped his thighs together to prevent it from becoming too evident.

Soft, soothing music seeped from unseen speakers and the rich smell of incense was becoming overwhelming. There was a small round table set with food and drink that looked tempting and delicious. Kiba heard his stomach growl in response and he closed his eyes, trying to swallow the moisture that had gathered in his mouth. His nipples felt as hard as rocks, the cold air not making things any easier as he reached for the black sheet with hands that trembled. Wrapping it around his body as best he could, he scrambled out of the bed and walked, rather unsteadily, towards the food-laden table.

He hadn't eaten anything since Tsume's meat and potatoes the night before and staring at the plates of roast beef, chicken and pork had him salivating hungrily. He pulled out a chair and sat down quickly, allowing the sheet to pool to his waist as he reached out for a large chicken leg. He took a huge bite and almost passed out in pleasure at how good it tasted. The chicken seemed to fall off the bones and melt in his mouth as he continued to munch away. Finished with that, he reached for a mug of wine and drank thirstily, hardly caring that it was beginning to trickle down his chin, throat and down to his chest.

Licking his fingers, he dove for a plate of ham and was just about to feast on it, when soft rumbling laughter had him spinning around quickly. He tried to get to his feet, but a light wave from the man had him falling back into the chair rather clumsily.

"Ah, forgive me for not joining you in time," the man said with a wide grin as he walked closer to the table. He was dressed in nothing but a black bathrobe and Kiba could tell he had nothing underneath due to the sheer material of the cloth. He cringed inwardly at the sight of the man's erection which was threatening to rip a hole right through the cloth and turned away quickly.

Suddenly, the food on the table looked horrible and nauseating to Kiba. He tried not to vomit as he glared at his reflection in a mirror in irritation. How could he have acted so stupidly? Just because of food, he had lost his mind and had forgotten his need to escape. If Tsume were here, he was sure the silver-haired man would have smacked some sense into him.

"Ah, you beautiful, beautiful creature," the man crooned thickly as he reached out to thread his fingers through Kiba's hair. Kiba tried to move, but the older man's fingers tightened within the soft locks causing Kiba's eyes to water in pain. He suffered the mint filled breath and abrasive wet tongue on his neck, closing his eyes in humiliation as he felt the strong and rough hand wrap itself around his traitorous erection.

"I am so lucky to have you in my life…Tsume…"

_Tsume. Tsume. Tsume!!_

That name rang like an incessant bell over and over in his mind. He could feel Tsume's lips on him. Tsume's breath. Tsume's body…ah his body.

"I…" Kiba began thickly, lifting his leg slowly while fighting the urge to moan as the man's fingers toyed with wet cock. "I am not…not…TSUME!" He growled and kicked out angrily. The image of Tsume's face had given him the extra burst of energy he needed and as he felt his foot connect with the soft flesh of the man's groin, he smirked coldly and leapt away.

"You….you…piece of…shit…" came the harsh wheezing words from the man who was now doubled up on the floor while cupping his precious but swelling jewels. Kiba could see him trying to reach for something on his left and in a flash; he moved to place a foot upon the groping hand.

The man's howl of pain was sweet music to Kiba's ears as his smile became a feral grin of triumph. "Who are you?" he asked coldly. "Who are you and what do you want with Tsume?"

The man seemed to be foaming at the mouth and his eyes, which had been golden earlier, rolled into whites that looked blank and empty. Kiba frowned. He didn't think he had hurt the man that badly, but he stepped off the hand only to find himself being flung against the room. He hit the wall with a painful thud before sliding to the ground, groaning in pain as he lifted his head to eye the smirking man now standing, albeit unsteadily, before him.

"Do you know who I am?!" the man bellowed in fury as he dove for Kiba to wrap his hands around the younger man's neck. "You don't fuck with me, do you understand?! My name is Quent Yaiden and I can do whatever the hell I want with you, you beast!"

Kiba choked and tried to release Quent's death grip. He tried to use his legs again, but Quent was clearly stronger at this time. His blurry vision was forced to stare into the blazing gold ones before him, wondering why that look was enough to send shivers of fear down his spine. It was clearly that of an animal. A wolf at most. And that instinct that had always lain dormant within Kiba threatened to rise to the surface again.

"I will make you the best thief in the city," Quent continued with a victorious grin as he pressed his knee against Kiba's throbbing erection. He relished in Kiba's choked cry of pain and pleasure and leaned close to claim the younger man's lips again. "Yes…you…will become my puppet and the best one at that…"

The shrill ring of a phone in his room had Quent cursing loudly. Reluctantly releasing Kiba, he dove for the black device and all but barked into it. "What?!"

Kiba couldn't hear what the other person was saying, but he didn't plan on remaining here a minute longer. With a soft grunt, he pushed himself away from Quent, who was too slow in reacting to what was about to happen next. One minute he was staring at Kiba diving across the room, the next, his face was splattered with burning wine and shattering glass. As he fell to the floor, a low gurgling sound of blood escaped his throat as Kiba scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily as he tried to make his way out of the room. Cursing the hindrance of the handcuffs, he opened up the door and stepped into the hallway. He glanced up and down the empty corridor, wondering which way they had come from. Deciding that the left looked good enough, he began to run that way. He knew he didn't have much time and that Quent's henchmen would be likely to find him if he didn't escape in time. If he could only find a way out of this hell, then all would be well again.

At least he hoped that.

* * *

Two large hamburgers and a pizza later, Tsume and Hige found themselves sitting upon an adjacent rooftop staring down into the lights and buildings below that belonged to the great Quent Yaiden. They could make out several guards patrolling the large compound and Tsume grit his teeth at how tight the security was. Last night he had been in a similar position at the port, tonight he was about to head into something he wasn't sure of and a survival rate that could very well be non-existent. Hige had been surprisingly efficient in leading them here and for the umpteenth time, Tsume wondered just what history lay behind those amused brown eyes.

"Still wanna go inside?" Hige asked as he watched the conflicting emotions criss-cross Tsume's features. "It's next to impossible, you know. They'll find you before you can even get to the gates."

"Don't worry," Tsume replied with a cool smirk as he placed his knife between his teeth and began to peel out of his jacket. "I'll figure out a way to get in there. Where there's a will, there's a way, right?"

Hige blinked as he barely caught the clothing thrown at him. "Hey…you're not really thinking of…hey! You're gonna get yourself killed!"

Tsume had already leapt down from his perch and into the darkness below. His slender figure was a blur as he ran and leapt through shadows and hidden corners. Hige watched in fascination as Tsume slinked against the wall that surrounded the mansion before leaping out of the shadows to make quick work of the guards that had been standing by the gate.

"Wow…" Hige whistled in appreciation as he cracked his knuckles. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Hey! Wait for me, Tsume!"

And with a blind leap, Hige dashed towards the taller man. He caught a hold of a guard who had been running out of the building and made quick work of him with a well-placed blow at the side of his head. Tsume stopped long enough to eye the grinning man in surprise.

"Didn't know you had it in you," he said simply as he began to run across the well-kept lawn as quickly as he could. So far, they had not alerted any other guards and that was a good thing. They would have to get into Quent's home as inconspicuously as possible or finding Kiba was going to be a pain in the ass.

"Psst! Hige!" he whispered harshly. "In here!" By this time they were within a large lobby that was surprisingly empty. Both men stood like deer caught in headlights as they tried to make sense of their whereabouts. They were bloody and out of breath having killed several men by this time. Hige licked his lips and bared his teeth as he heard something.

"Over there!" he whispered to Tsume. "Someone…or something's coming. Let's go, Tsume!"

"Not so fast, intruders," came the calm voice that had the two men spinning around quickly. Standing at the top of a flight of stairs were a young woman with dark blue hair and a young boy of about fifteen, with brown hair and a rather cheerful disposition.

"Who are they?" Tsume asked beneath his breath as he sized up his new opponents.

"The woman was the one who came to your apartment…the kid…I dunno…probably works for Quent too."

"Can I have the one with the white hair, Blue?" the boy asked sweetly as he began to walk down the stairs. "He looks good enough to kill! I'm sure the boss would be very happy if I brought him for dinner."

Damn brat! Tsume growled and smirked coldly. "Come on then, kid. Let's see what you've got."

"Wait a minute, Toboe. What did you come here for?" the woman asked as she held up a hand to stop her impatient ward. "You must be here for Tsume, correct?"

Tsume blinked in confusion for a moment before the situation dawned on him. They had mistaken Kiba for himself, of course!

"Oh, Tsume?" Toboe laughed softly. "He's with the boss right now." He winked and cocked his head to the side with a knowing look. "If you know what I mean. The boss always likes to initiate his new recruits."

Slow, dull rage slowly boiled within the pit of Tsume's stomach as the words sunk in. The old geezer. The old geezer was touching Kiba…probably had the guts to do more than just touch Kiba. His vision became glazed as he lowered his head to growl out in a tone that could freeze water.

"Take me to him."

Toboe stopped laughing long enough to blink at the older man and at his ridiculous request.

"I beg your pardon…argh!"

Tsume had moved so fast that neither Blue nor Hige, let alone Toboe, had seen him do so. The young boy found himself pinned to the wall with a knife at his neck. His own weapon had long slipped from his hands to slide upon the polished floor. Blue had made a move to help him, but Hige blocked her way with a wide grin.

"Not right now, sweetheart. You just let them go now and no one gets hurt."

Toboe shivered in absolute fear as he stared into the furious golden eyes before him. Tsume bared his teeth and revealed a pair of fangs that had him crying out. He was looking into the face of a beast and he knew that if he didn't cooperate, he would be killed in an instant.

And in a trembling voice, he complied weakly. "I'll…I'll take you to him…"


	7. The Young and the Restless

**Author's Notes:** Oh wow. It took me quite some time to get this chapter done, didn't it? Hehe, I know I certainly didn't want this story to become yet another 'unfinished' pile, but yay! I finally got it done! In fact, the next chapter is being written as I write this one /lol/. My many thanks go out to redroseprincess678, nannon, B.Fox (Trust me when I say any kind of a review is a good thing! No matter how short or long it is! So thank you for your continued support, it really means a lot), Babymar-mar, ShiTiger, Slover Pink (finally! You reveal yourself! /lol!/ Aly (yes, Kiba is a bit more timid in this one since this is a whole new world and he's yet to know who he really is, but that will all change as this chapter will show! /smile/) Leigh (Sorry I couldn't get this done before Christmas, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it!) Morganna (Oh man, I could get into so much with you right now, but it would take me forever and I have to go to evil work right now /cries/. Thanks so much for your detailed feedback!), Aspirinforyourheadache (Oh wow. Thanks so much for the compliments! I'm glad you're really enjoying the story as I'm having a blast writing it! XD)

Thank you all again and keep them coming!

**Warnings:** R (Finally, some more Tsume/Kiba action and I don't mean fighting either! /snerks/)

**Edit:** Sorry to those who have already read the earlier version posted. I just tweaked a few things here and there, so this is a much better version! /grin/

* * *

**Part Six**

**The Young and the Restless**

A siren went off and Kiba hissed in response. He didn't know what was more humiliating. Being frisked and groped by that bastard Quent or running around naked in a house that had a million and one doors and hallways. One could get lost in here quite easily and he didn't want to get caught by Quent's minions for he knew it was only a matter of time before those two men would show up to see what was wrong.

He crouched and began to run as fast as his legs could take him, being careful to remain close to the walls. He could hear the loud cries of the security guards (and he could have sworn several dogs barking) as they all scrambled into the building in search of the intruders. However, something about this situation didn't seem right to him. He had only been in Quent's bedroom and he wasn't aware of triggering off any alarms while in there – unless Quent had an alarm set in his head. So why were the guards all in a frenzy? It could only mean that an outside party or parties had invaded the rich man's house.

_Could it be…?_

No. He shook his head rapidly to get rid of the stray thought that had entered his mind. It couldn't possibly be that pushy bastard here to rescue him. For starters, there was no way Tsume could know he was here. He hadn't given or left any clues in the apartment and besides, why would Tsume want to rescue him? It wasn't as if they were friends or anything. So why then did he feel this sickening lurch in his chest – this ache that refused to stop?

"There he is!"

He sucked in a harsh breath and spun around to see the two burly men running towards him at an increasingly rapid pace. For such large men they really were light on their feet. Taking another furtive but quick glance behind him, Kiba winced as he realized there was no other place to run to. He had reached a dead end. He took another step backwards and braced himself, holding out his cuffed hands with his teeth bared in open challenge. If he couldn't run anymore, he'd just have to stop and fight with his life on the line.

"Come and get it," he growled to himself as their looming black figures came even closer. And falling on all fours, he felt a wave of vertigo wash over him as he got ready to…

* * *

"…come this way," Toboe said quickly as he motioned for the taller man to follow. They had left Hige with Blue and Tsume wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not. However, he would have to deal with this Quent guy first and get Kiba out of his clutches.

"I hope you aren't trying anything funny," Tsume said tightly as they walked through yet another narrow pathway filled with enough ostentatious décor that looked too out of place and made Tsume want to gag.

Toboe gave a light shrug. "This is the only way to get to the boss's room without alerting the guards. As you can see, you and your friends are surrounded and there's no way to escape. Of course my boss will still defeat you…"

"Just shut up brat and keep walking," came the curt reply that had the young boy flushing with indignation at being spoken to in such a manner. He wanted to tell himself that he could take this arrogant man down – after all, he had defeated bigger men before. But there was something about Tsume that he couldn't quite shake off. Perhaps it was the genuine anger and animosity he sensed, but Toboe had the feeling that if he tried anything, he _really_ would die in a heartbeat.

He stopped before a door – a simple wooden door with a brass knocker of a lion's head. Lifting it up gently, Toboe knocked, once, twice…until Tsume pushed him aside with impatience and kicked the door in.

"No! Wait…!"

But it was too late to back out now. Tsume saw the huge blade descending from the ceiling as if in slow motion. He cursed loudly and tried to duck but he was not fast enough. A searing, blinding and mind-numbing pain coursed through his body and he howled as the blade sank into his left shoulder. Toboe's cry of horror mingled with his as Tsume fell to his knees in agony.

"I tried to tell you!" Toboe yelled as he reached for the end of the scythe-like weapon to pull it out quickly. Tsume's black jacket was already made darker with the blood that now gushed freely from the deep cut. Toboe felt faint at the sight. "Oh god…you're…you're…bleeding…so badly…"

"I can see that," Tsume grated out through clenched teeth as he staggered to his feet. His entire left arm felt numb and useless but he held on to the knife tightly in his right hand as he continued to walk into the large bedroom. His vision blurred for a moment and he staggered again, cursing in frustration at how much blood he was losing. He didn't want to lose consciousness now.

"Oh my goodness!" Toboe gasped. "It looks like there was a fight in here."

Tsume forced his vision to become clearer as he too stared at the mess in the room. The bed sheets looked like there had been a struggle on it. There were broken pieces of glass on the floor and a table that had looked like it had been set for dinner, now had it's contents strewn all over the floor. It really did look like a fight had occurred.

Hn. He would bet that damn Kiba had fought his way out of this. He should have known.

Toboe was looking around the room with a light frown of confusion and concern on his features. "But…but …where is my boss…?"

"Right over here, you little traitor!"

Tsume didn't know when he moved or how he had managed to so quickly but he would be damned before allowing the old guy to hack into the kid. Quent had sneaked up behind them with another scythe and its destination had been intended for the oblivious Toboe's head or neck. However, Tsume's quick reflexes stepped in and he reached for the man's hand, holding it back as the blade struck the bed post ineffectively.

"Run!" Tsume ground out coldly as his gaze met the maniacal ones of the older man. So this was the bastard that had dared touch Kiba. There was congealed blood on Quent's features and he looked…horribly grotesque.

"But…" Toboe began weakly.

"Run, goddamnit! Find Kiba! You'll know him when you see him!"

"Ri…right!" Toboe gave one last look at the two men braced in a stand off and ran out of the room, feeling his eyes sting with unshed tears. He didn't want to believe that his boss – the man he had loved so very much – would have killed him if Tsume hadn't stepped in. He had been nothing but loyal to Quent all these years…but he had betrayed his master and he could understand the old man's reasoning. But if Tsume defeated him… what was to become of him and Blue? How could they manage to survive on the streets again?

He ran out to the hallway and froze in mid-stride at the sight that met his eyes. For standing over two large bodies was the naked figure of the most beautiful and bloodied beast he had ever seen. And for one heartbreaking moment, Toboe forgot how to breathe.

* * *

Kiba couldn't even explain what had happened to him a few minutes ago if he tried. He stared at his blood-stained hands and indeed his entire body as he stumbled backwards in horror. He could remember falling on his hands and knees and then…just…_nothing._ It was as if that particular section of time had been erased from his mind completely.

Had he actually felt even more excited and thrilled at the thought of biting into the men's flesh? Had he actually ripped their lungs out and nearly torn their heads off their shoulders? How could he have done that with his bare hands? That was…_impossible!_

The handcuffs that had been on his hands had long gone and as he rose to his feet slowly, he became aware of the boy standing before him with absolute terror on his young features. Kiba couldn't blame him for that reaction. He was sure he looked anything but normal at the moment. He took a step forward and Toboe shrank away.

"It's okay," Kiba began softly while trying to force a warm smile on his features. "I won't hurt you. I promise. I just need…"

But Toboe wasn't listening. He squeezed his eyes shut and slid to the floor, hands over his ears as he screamed desperately. "He's in there! He's going to kill my boss! Please! Please make him stop!"

He's in there! He? _He_ could only be one person.

_Tsume!_

Feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline course through his body, Kiba ran towards the bedroom again. So Tsume had come for him after all! Why he felt ridiculously pleased about that, he would never know. But he did and as he threw open the doors to the room; he sucked in a harsh breath at the scene before him. It looked like Quent was lying above Tsume's body and as Kiba walked closer; he could make out the dark stain upon the older man's head. Had Tsume bashed Quent's head in with his bare fists? Good grief.

He pushed the old man off Tsume and winced softly at how ashen the silver-haired man looked. He propped Tsume against a wall gently and one glance at his left shoulder told Kiba all he needed to know. The cut was deep and if proper precautions weren't taken, Tsume could bleed to death.

"Tsume…Tsume," he whispered softly as he fell to his knees. "Open your eyes…Tsume…"

Tsume heard the voice and wondered if it was yet another figment of his imagination. The old guy had been pretty tough to beat and Tsume was still not sure of how he had managed to subdue the raging bastard with just one arm. But he had done it somehow and he hated to admit that it had really felt good to hear the sound of crunching bone beneath his fist.

He opened up his eyes weakly, only to blink slowly at the blood streaked face before him. However, there was no denying the sharp teal eyes that were boring down at him in concern. Blood. Geez, the guy didn't know how to take things easy, did he?

"You…" he began thickly – it felt as if his mouth was filled with cotton balls - only to find the words lodged somewhere in his throat as he realized that Kiba was also stark naked. Tsume doubted if Kiba had hurt himself as well, but there was something so primitive and delightfully sexy about the blood-stained man before him. Fuck. It had been almost twenty-four hours since he had seen Kiba. Twenty-four long hours of not tasting this bastard whom had almost gotten him killed…_twice._

In other words, he had missed the clueless fool.

"Tsume…can you…we have to…"

"Shut the fuck up, Kiba…" Tsume growled as he lifted his good arm to sink his fingers into the other's hair. "Just shut up…"

He tugged Kiba's head forward and closed his eyes as their lips met in a kiss that was nothing short of bruising and demanding. If Kiba was surprised at this sudden development, he made no effort to show it as he responded just as hungrily.

Dear gods, but he had missed this!

Someone moaned but neither cared to know who. With tongues clashing and sucking on the each other roughly, Kiba straddled Tsume's waist and pressed his body even closer to the sinewy length. For a moment, his eyes remained open, watching Tsume's once ashen cheeks fill with dull color. He finally let them close as he felt Tsume's right hand upon his waist and slide down to the taut curve of his ass cheek. He growled within the kiss, shifting restlessly upon Tsume's waist as both men felt their arousals awakening with unbridled lust.

Damn but Kiba was extremely sensitive, Tsume thought feverishly. The urge to own this man was so overwhelming that all rational thought was about to fly out the window in mere seconds. Kiba's scent was intoxicating. His taste was even more delicious than he remembered. He wanted Kiba. _Needed_ him.

"Hah….hah…aaah!"

Kiba tore his lips away and cried out as he felt Tsume's wandering finger tease the entrance to his rectum but it was a shy and rather loud cough from the doorway that had both men turning around quickly. Standing at the doorway, looking rather uncomfortable and quite flushed, was Toboe.

"Sor…sorry…" he began quickly, unable to look at the two men completely. "I didn't know…I mean…I…"

"The brat," Tsume muttered harshly while desperately trying to even his ragged breathing, only to groan again at the sensation of Kiba's cock still pressing incessantly against his stomach. If he were wicked enough, Tsume would be more than willing to give the young boy a good showing of what adults do in their spare time, but to his irritation, Kiba was already pulling away from him and rising to his feet.

Toboe's flush darkened as Kiba placed a hand upon his shoulders. "Will you lead us out of here, Toboe?" he asked with a small smile. "We need to get Tsume to the hospital…"

"No…" Tsume said quickly as he tried to move and then wished he hadn't as the world swarm before his eyes. "Fuck. Just take me back to the apartment. I can take care of myself."

"But you're bleeding badly!" Kiba said firmly as he spun around to face Tsume again. "This isn't something that can be taken of by yourself. You need professional…"

"Don't you tell me what to do, Kiba," came the cold retort and this time Tsume began to struggle to his feet, using the wall as leverage. "You don't know me. So don't act like you…fuck…!"

The world danced before his eyes again and he almost fell or would have if Kiba's strong hands hadn't been there to hold him up. "Stop being such a stubborn bastard and just listen to me…!"

"And since when do I have to listen to some newbie from the main city, huh?"

"Goddamnit, Tsume! I'm trying to help you…!"

"Then don't! I can deal with it on my own! I've managed this well so far without you and believe me I can bloody well do without you this time!"

He tried to push Kiba away but the dark-haired man wouldn't budge. And hell if they weren't getting aroused again.

Toboe watched on in fascination as the two men squared off. It was hard to believe that just a few minutes ago; they had been ready to screw each other into the ground. There was a palpable tension between the two and Toboe hated to admit that it was mildly 'exciting' to watch. He almost yelped at the firm hand that was placed on his shoulder.

"Whoa. Who's the hottie?" Hige asked with a grin as he watched Tsume and Kiba arguing in the bedroom. Blue was standing behind him, out of breath but with an uncharacteristic look of excitement in her eyes – at least it was there until she saw the body on the floor.

An anguished cry escaped her throat as she ran forward and past the bickering men. She fell to her knees, hands reaching out to caress the lax features of the man she had considered her mentor and father figure over the years. The tears fell hard and fast as she cradled his body to hers.

"Who did this?!" she wailed with gut wrenching sobs that made the men a bit uncomfortable. "Who amongst you, did this?!"

"I did it, lady," Tsume finally replied with a light frown unaware of how heavily he was now leaning on Kiba. "I don't know what kind of relationship you had with him, but he was no good…"

"And how would you know?!" Blue screamed in anger as she rose to her feet and made a charge for him. But Toboe was fast as well and before she could swing her arm at the surprised couple, he had blocked her way with a pleading look in his brown eyes.

"Please, Blue…don't," he said quietly but firmly. "I'll explain everything later. Please…"

"Toboe," she said in a broken whisper. "You…you approve of this? After all the master tried to do for us?"

"Listen people," Hige cut in with a wave of his hand. "As much as I'd like to stay here and stare at naked butts and crying babes, we've got to split. I don't think I can hold back anymore of these guards that are just about ready to come up here. But seriously, dude," he eyed Kiba with growing interest. "Were you the one who ripped those guys apart on the stairs? That was wicked cool."

Kiba had the grace to flush but Hige's warning stood true. They did not have the time to waste. "Toboe," he said firmly. "Show us the way out of here."

The young boy seemed torn at the decision he had to make. He could either go with these men or stay with Blue. However, as he took another glance at the desolate room, he realized that there really was nothing for him in this place. He had been raised and used as nothing but a common thief since Quent found him. He was grateful for that, but he was also grateful to Tsume now. If it wasn't for the silver-haired man, Toboe was sure he would have been dead.

He gave a small nod and spun around, wincing inwardly at Blue's cry of disbelief. "Toboe! You can't leave! You and I…!"

"I have to Blue," he said with a sad smile struggling hard not to break down in tears. "I can't stay here anymore, Blue and neither can you. We've got to move on, can't you see?" He held out his hand in invitation, hoping that the woman he had considered an older sister and best friend would join him. "Please…come with us…"

She shook her head rapidly and took a step backwards. "No…no…I can't believe you're betraying me like this, Toboe."

"Blue…"

"Get lost! Go! Join them! See if I care, you ungrateful slut!"

"Hey now," Hige cut in with a frown as he watched Toboe's eyes fill with tears. "You can't speak to him that way! He's only trying to help you…"

"She doesn't need our help," Kiba replied coolly as he began to lead Tsume out of the room. "Let her wallow in her self pity. We don't have too much time, remember?" He placed a hand on Toboe's shoulder and squeezed it gently in reassurance. "Let's go."

The young thief gave a slow nod and wiped his tears away. He refused to look back as he began to lead them down a series of pathways that would take them to the underground garage. Within the warm cocoon of his three new friends, Toboe felt that he was now safe. He only wished that Blue would open up her eyes to see just how wrong she was.

* * *

It was Hige who had hotwired the sleek black car. It was also Hige who had managed to find a pair of jeans and t-shirt from a friend who lived nearby for Kiba to slip into. Hell, he could only look at the naked guy for so long without having illicit thoughts of having a piece of him. It was also Hige that had somehow managed to convince them to stay in any place but Tsume's apartment. He had explained the situation with Darcia and Jagara and it all made perfect sense. There really was no need to go back to a place where they would be found again.

And so here they were in Hige's little place he considered home away from home. Tsume had been cleaned, stitched and bandaged by a local 'doctor' that Hige knew and now lay sleeping on a bed half-delirious. Kiba, who had also been cleaned and treated for a cut on his right ribs, sat on a chair beside the bed, with his head lowered in thought. He had not moved from that position since the doctor had left almost three hours ago.

The apartment was relatively small but crowded with unnecessary junk, which was just the way Hige liked it. There were posters of naked or half-naked girls on the wall. There was a mini-entertainment center with half it's DVD collections filled with such tasty titles as 'Girls Gone Wild' and 'Pussy Alley'. Toboe, who had been going through the collection, couldn't help blushing at some of the images on their covers. This really was a bachelor's pad. The kitchen was just as tiny with a sink almost filled with dirty dishes and a box of leftover pizza upon the brown counter.

"Okay, so it isn't the Ritz," Hige said around a shrug as he opened up a can of beer and tossed one towards Toboe. "But it's my place and I like it."

Toboe eyed the drink warily and shook his head. "It's okay I guess. But I don't drink beer…"

"Well, it's about time you did! You're a grown man now. A grown man!" He sat down on the floor and drank thirstily before darting a glance towards the bedroom. "Man…are those two like…well you know…?"

Toboe's cheeks grew pink and he toyed with the can. The memory of Kiba's naked body writhing upon Tsume's lap had him clamping his legs tightly. "Uuum…I dunno…"

"He's one lucky bastard that's for sure," Hige said with a smirk as he drank again. "No wonder Jagara and your boss want him. With a body and a face like that, I'd do him in a heartbeat."

"Hige!" Toboe gasped in shock at the man's bluntness. "But…" His brows furrowed in thought. "Who is Jagara?"

"Yes," Kiba said quietly. Neither of them had heard him and their surprised looks were almost comical. "Who is this Jagara you keep talking about and what does she want with me?"

Hige eyed the man standing before him for a moment and then took another thirsty gulp from the can. He wiped a hand across his lips and smiled wanly. "Sure you wanna know? This could take all night because this guy keeps his ears and eyes open if you know what I mean. So I know plenty."

Kiba shrugged and made himself comfortable on the floor beside Toboe, who lowered his head to hide his blush at the close proximity of the older one. He couldn't quite place it yet, but just being in Kiba's presence was very…_intoxicating _and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. But he liked the protective air that seemed to emanate from Kiba and smiling softly to himself, he moved a bit closer to the dark-haired man's warmth.

* * *

By the time Hige was done with his story, the sun was already high in the sky again and Toboe was fast asleep with his head upon Kiba's lap.

"So that's all I know," Hige finished with a yawn as he stretched his arms above his head. "Just be careful that's all. You don't want to go walking around for no good reason in this town. She's always had it out for you and she's not gonna rest until she gets you in her clutches."

Kiba frowned lightly in thought at all he had heard. This Jagara was apparently one of the last few nobles left in the Main City. He wasn't sure of what or who they really were, but according to Hige, they had once ruled like Kings and Queens, being the most powerful family at the time. Rumors had it that their source of strength had come from the blood of wolves, beasts that had long been extinct since their last rule.

_So…that's what I am. I am a…wolf?_ Although, Hige had said that, Kiba had gotten the sense that the brown-haired man had not believed a word of it. Of course he wouldn't. Why should he? After all he had been raised as a human all his life and being told he was a wolf was not something could just take lightly. However, it all made sense somehow. That would explain all the 'blackouts' he had whenever he got into a really serious fight. That would explain his heightened sense of smell and the sights around him. But how did he really feel about it? Was he happy or horrified? Should he even continue to regard himself as a human despite this new knowledge about himself?

However, he wasn't the only one. He was sure of that. He knew without a doubt that Hige, Toboe, Blue, even Quent and most especially Tsume were just like he was. He had sensed it the moment he had seen them. So just how many more wolves were in this city? Had they always existed in this human form? Hiding away with society to deceive everyone and even themselves?

Kiba held up his hands, watching them tremble slightly as something – just for a brief moment – flashed through his mind. He could remember…a _flower._ Something about a flower. But what was so fascinating about a flower? There were some flowers around the city, so why did that single thought come to his mind out of his murky past?

He allowed his hands to fall to his lap, listening to Toboe's slow breathing and Hige's snores. Shifting the young boy's head off his lap gently, Kiba rose to his feet and made his way towards the bedroom. He simply raised a brow as he noticed that Tsume was now sitting up in bed with a distant look in his eyes as he stared out of the window. .

"Did you hear everything?" Kiba asked quietly as he sat on the chair again.

Tsume shook his head. "Not everything…just the later bits." The sun struck his bronzed chest and the deep scar almost hidden between the heavy bandages, seemed to throb in response. Kiba, rather unconsciously, reached out to touch it in fascination, but his hand was immediately caught within Tsume's in a tight grip. Teal met cool gold and they remained locked in a silent battle of wills.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now and get a move on with my life?" Tsume asked softly, even as he found his gaze drifting towards Kiba's full lips. "You've given me nothing but hell from the moment I met you."

"Really?" Kiba asked huskily, feeling his heart beat quicken with anticipation at what was yet to be. He was aware that Tsume was pulling him closer and he made no move to stop himself from going along.

"I should be jealous you know," Tsume continued as his grip slackened a little although he made no attempt to release his prey. "Everyone seems to want you. This Jagara. That bastard Quent. Even the fat one."

"His name is Hige," Kiba breathed against Tsume's moist, warm and parted lips.

"Like I give a fuck what his name is," came the growled reply as their tongues met for a brief moment. It was a deliberate tease and both men gasped at the jolt of electricity that raced through their bodies.

"What I would give to fuck your brains out right about now, Kiba," Tsume muttered and groaned as Kiba straddled him again. "Damn it…"

"I want you too, Tsume," Kiba confessed as his lips began to trail down Tsume's jaw and neck. He ground his aching groin against Tsume's and swallowed the silver-haired man's cry within his mouth in a scorching kiss.

No, this had to be more than just mere lust between them, Kiba thought helplessly as he lifted his hips a little allowing Tsume's hand to slip into his pants. This had to be more than lust. He had to _consume _Tsume if need be for Kiba knew - somewhere deep down inside – that he might never get to see this man…ever again.

TBC…


	8. Love's Labor's Lost

**Notes:** It just occurred to me that my summary for this story is sooooooo not the same thing that's exactly happening within the story itself! Well, yeah, Tsume and Kiba are hooking up but everything else revolving around them is way more. /lol/

First off, **Morganna,** I owe you a long ass email! I did try to access your email earlier but for some reason won't let me see your page. Don't ask. I'm just as confused as you are. But now I have it, I should be emailing you with my thoughts and mindless babble soonin Slash ML.!

**Forsaken!** – I wuv you and would even wuv you more because I'm beginning to have thoughts of commissioning a pic for this story. But we'll see. /grin/

**Silver Goddess1** – I think I will keep this a lime. The powers that be at will not allow anything steamier but if I do write a lemon, it will be in my website – safe and sound.

**Shini-neko-chan** – A side story to this one? I'm not sure about that, but if I do I'll definitely announce it either on my bio or on the Wolf's Rain Slash ML.

And of course, much love goes out to **Slover Pink, Leigh** /snugs/, **Aspirinforyourheadache, Female Heero Yuy, Shi-Tiger, dimonyo-anghel!**

Thank you all so much for your feedback and support! I really do appreciate it.

**Warnings:** Uuum…hard R? (Tsume/Kiba lime)

And guess who's coming into the picture now? /smirks/

Enjoy!

* * *

**Part Seven:**

**Love's Labor's Lost**

"Aaargh!"

Her angry cry ricocheted off the walls of the large hall and Darcia ducked to escape the glass vase that was thrown at him. It shattered into a million tiny pieces beside him and he suffered a cut on his cheek for his effort.

"You! _You_ let them get away!" She screamed again and reached for a much larger object. Darcia's eyes widened and then narrowed with irritation before making a dive for her. He knocked the lamp stand away from her hands and cried out as he felt her long fingernails claw into his already bleeding cheek. Hissing in pain, he lifted a hand to give her two good slaps across her face before flinging her away from him like a rag doll.

She hit the wall with a sickening thud and slid to the floor slowly. Her long and now unruly blonde locks covered her face as she lifted her hands to hide it from view. She crouched in the corner like a baby being reprimanded while Darcia loomed over her with a frown of impatience on his handsome features. His left cheek was bloody and had three deep grooves and as he licked idly at the blood that slipped into his lips, he gave a light snort and turned away.

"_You_ let them get away, my Lady," he began coolly as he reached for a white cloth upon a table and wiped his face quickly. "If you had only listened to my advice to have them chained and kept in the lower section of the dungeon, they wouldn't have escaped."

He only received muffled sobs in response. Tossing the used cloth to the floor, he walked up to her and stared at the huddled mass for a while. With a sigh, he fell to his haunches and reached out to touch her.

"Leave me alone!" she cried out as she slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare touch me!"

Not fazed by the rejection, he smiled coldly. "Then perhaps this news will cheer you up, my Lady."

She stopped sniffling long enough to lift her head slowly. Her eyes looked red and puffy, her mascara creating unsightly black smudges upon her cheek. Her once perfect red lips were smeared as if she had been rubbing her lips angrily. "What news?" she asked warily.

"It was in the newspapers and local news on television this morning," Darcia continued with a wan smile. "Do you remember the eccentric businessman Quent Yaiden?"

Her eyes widened and she shrank away with a cold hiss. "That fool. What about him?"

"Well, there was some sort of intrusion into his property last night and according to the police, he was hurt very badly. I hear he's in the hospital now being treated for severe head wounds. Once he's out, he'll be taken to prison."

"As he very well should be," Jagara replied with a light snort. "But what has this got to do with me?"

Darcia gave a long suffering sigh. "Don't you remember telling me something about Yaiden being a lost member of the nobles?"

Jagara raised a brow. "Yes, he is. His side of the family were rebels and decided to break away from the main bloodline. But what has this…?"

Darcia placed a finger against her lips to silence her. "Now think, my Lady. Quent has been running his underground business for quite some time, correct?"

"Yes…"

"And many have wondered just how and where he gets his power from, right?"

"Yes, but…"

"We did some extensive research and discovered that he had two wolves in his employ, do you remember?"

He could see the slow light of understanding within her eyes and his smile widened. "The wolves were not as strong and did not serve our purposes."

"That's true," she agreed as she sat up and wiped her eyes quickly. "So do you think…?"

"The police found neither of them on the premises but one of my sources tells me that they found two badly mutilated bodies in the house."

Jagara's heart skipped a beat. There was now a wild look in her violet eyes. "Oh dear…don't tell me…they have…had _him_?"

"Hige told us that two men and a woman had come by to get Kiba. Putting two and two together, I realized that they must have taken him." Darcia frowned in thought. "My Lady…do you think there are two Book of Wolves?"

"Nonsense!" the woman cried vehemently. "There's only one copy and that's in my possession."

"So what would Quent want with Kiba?"

"How should I know?!" she screamed in frustration as she rose to her feet and began to pace the room frantically. "What if he's taken Kiba already? If they couldn't find any of the wolves there, then…then….what has happened to him?!"

Darcia rose to his feet and caught her arm as she walked by him again. Pulling her body flush against his, he cradled her cheek and whispered thickly against her lips. "Do you trust me, my Lady?"

Lost and mesmerized by the beauty of his blue eyes, she could only nod weakly in response. "Yes, yes, I do Darcia."

"Then please allow me to bring back the white wolf to you as a token of my appreciation. I will make sure he is in your hands very soon. Will you trust me with that, my Lady?"

She looked skeptical for a moment, but as she felt his hand upon her left breast, she moaned and gave herself up to his brand of magic. "Yes…yes, I trust you, my Darcia."

Their lips finally met in a slow kiss but as she closed her eyes to relish his taste, his blue depth remained open and cool with calculated victory.

* * *

Their harsh breathing kept growing louder by the second and Kiba was beginning to think that they should at least close the door if nothing else. He didn't exactly want to entertain the thought of having Hige or Toboe finding out about this but Tsume's fingers were still stretching him and Kiba could only sink his teeth into his partner's shoulder as an incredible surge of pleasure shot up his spine. Tsume's low growl of pain at the bite mingled with the wet sounds of their erections rubbing against each other. A light sheen of sweat had broken out on their heaving and well-toned bodies as they struggled not to give in to the primal sounds that lay impatient in their throats.

But dear gods, it was too hard not to want to cry out or say the words they so longed to. Kiba's trembling body upon his was too much to bear and Tsume retaliated by burying his fingers even deeper within the warm and tight sheath. The dark-haired man could barely think at this point and he arched wantonly as something was stroked deep within him. His fingers dug deep grooves into Tsume's arms, mindless of the tiny drops of blood that remained afterwards. He exploded with a soft cry – one he couldn't control no matter how much he tried– as thick spurts of his seed coated their stomachs.

Hige suddenly gave an extraordinarily loud snore and Tsume hissed as Kiba slumped against him in exhaustion.

Damn it! This was not the way he had planned to take Kiba. His plans had involved throwing the other man on the ground somewhere rather spacious – if the place was tight, they would manage somehow – and ravish the clueless fool until they lost their minds in endless pleasure. He eyed his throbbing organ, groaning in misery at its unsatisfied state. Kiba's hair was beginning to tickle his chin and as he withdrew his fingers, he swallowed thickly as Kiba shifted against him again with a low mumble.

"Hey…" he began softly. How the hell was he going to tell Kiba that he too needed to release the tension in his groin? He could just guide Kiba's hand to it…but then again, didn't Kiba know what to do already? If Tsume didn't know any better, he would guess that the dark-haired man had never actually done this before…at least not with another man.

_Great. Just great._

"Hey…hey, Kiba…do you…?" The words died in his throat as he finally realized that Kiba now felt a bit heavier against him. Tsume cocked his head to the side to take a good look and all but cursed in frustration as he saw that Kiba was now fast asleep. That's right, the poor sap must have been through hell the past day or so and it was only natural for him to get some much needed sleep.

Tsume stared at the incredibly long lashes, wondering if Kiba had been teased about it when he had been a child. His features looked even younger and more relaxed than before. One would hardly believe that this was the same guy who could kill a person when extremely provoked. Tsume found himself unable to stop his fingers from tracing the sharp outline of Kiba's nose or caressing the smooth curve of his swollen lips. To think that he would have never had the chance to taste them again and yet to have Kiba twice in one day…it was enough to make Tsume's head reel with thoughts that were anything but innocent.

However, he knew he would have to keep his sinful thoughts to himself and allow Kiba to get some rest. Shifting a little, he lay back against the pillows and reached for the blanket to pull it over their bodies as carefully as possible. Settling Kiba comfortably against him, making sure his bandaged shoulder and arm were not strained, Tsume allowed his thoughts to wander towards the events of the day before.

He was sure he hadn't killed Quent completely. He might have missed his vital organs when he had stabbed the bastard. This in turn meant that if Quent survived, their lives might still be in danger. And then there was that Jagara and Darcia to deal with. He hadn't caught Hige's entire story but from what he had heard, Jagara clearly needed Kiba for something. Unconsciously, his arm tightened around Kiba's sleeping form in possessiveness, a dark frown upon his handsome features as he thought of what he could do. He would not be able to fight much with only an arm and if he had to deal with Darcia again, Tsume wasn't sure he'd be able to hold up. Quent had been strong but that creepy Darcia had been a whole other problem in itself. Just what kind of power had the guy displayed at the bar anyway? It was as if he had only pointed a finger towards the bartender and it had thrown the old man across the room. If he had to fight such strength, would he prevail?

For how long would he have Kiba to himself, Tsume wondered. His fears and trepidations grew tenfold as the mid-morning sunlight filtered through the window and into the bedroom. He closed his eyes and tried to talk himself out of his irrational worries, but there was no doubt about it. Something lurked in the shadows waiting for them…waiting to destroy them…and he had a feeling that for the first time in his life, he might be powerless to stop it.

* * *

Darcia took a sip from his coffee and crossed his long legs hidden beneath a well-fitted pair of jeans. His black boot tapped the ground restlessly, his dark blue gaze watching the passersby absently. He had done away with the expensive shirts and suits that Jagara usually made him wear all the time. Now dressed in this casual black sweater and jeans, he felt he could be more himself. His long black hair had been tied back in a ponytail. He was still forced to wear the patch over his left eye and knew that it would begin to throb painfully whenever the wolves were near. It was a curse he had to live with over the years and it was only Jagara that had managed to find a way to stop him from going insane with the agony it wrought throughout his body each time it happened.

So just when had he sold his soul to Jagara? It would be ten years, five months and two days exactly, since the fateful day he had laid eyes on the woman. It had been a bitter winter morning and as usual, he had had to scrap around like a lowly dog for a meal here or there. He was a fifteen year old kid with no place to sleep or call home. He had wandered the streets, getting into fights and having to deal with being made fun of because of his 'weird' eye. He hadn't wished to be born with it and could vaguely remember his mother trying to convince him of him not being a freak. He had never known his father and maybe that was a good thing for Darcia was sure he would have killed the bastard for abandoning his mother when he was still a baby. Darcia couldn't remember how his mother had died – all he had known was that he had woken up one morning and had found her dead body beside him with a knife stuck in her chest. There had been no forced entry into their tiny apartment and the five year old had assumed that his mother had killed herself out of desperation and heartbreak.

He had been kicked out of the apartment a day later by the landlord with nothing to his name. He had no relatives he could go to and so had made the lower sections of the city his home until he had gotten into that damned fight with the boys from the Eastside. He had taken to covering his eye with an old patch he had found in a dumpster so the name-callings hadn't been as much. However, the gang from the Eastside seemed to have another agenda. Their leader – some scrawny kid who had been older than Darcia by about two years – had hated the boy's guts from the day they had met. It seemed like it was his personal duty to make sure Darcia suffered for existing.

The fight had been messy, bloody and Darcia had almost lost his life. He could remember being left for dead in that cold, bitter snow having lost count of how many times he had been kicked, punched and even stabbed. He had held his own for the most part, but just him against five bigger boys? It hadn't seemed fair at all. He had prayed for death to end his suffering. People had walked by and over him hardly giving him a second glance after all, he was just another statistic in this slummy town.

But then _she_ had stopped.

She with her expensive black boots and long flowing golden hair.

She had reached out to him with a smile.

He could remember his eye – how his weird, freakish eye – had seemed to throb in excitement at the sight of her.

_Come with me,_ she had said with the voice of an angel. _Come with me, my beautiful beast._

* * *

"Here's your bill, sir." The waiter placed the ticket on the table and walked away with a polite bow. Darcia reached for the small piece of paper and almost cried out as a sharp searing pain seemed to shoot down his spine from the very nerves in his eye. He slapped a hand over it and tried to even his harsh breathing. It had never been this strong before – this ache…this heat that seemed to coil in rapidly within his very soul.

He gripped the edge of the table and lifted his head slowly, trying to see through his shimmering eye at where or who the guilty party could be. It didn't take long for Kiba to stand out like a beacon in the midst of the others that walked around him. For a moment, Darcia was sure he could see the rich white fur of the beautiful creature and those golden eyes trained on him, but blinking again, all he could see was Kiba standing in front of the bakery with his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Darcia watched, unaware of how much tighter his grip was on the table, with abated breath. He had thought he had seen all that was beautiful or exquisite since living with Jagara but now…seeing Kiba in person, he could understand his mistress's obsession. Kiba oozed an aura of danger – lethal, deadly, beautiful danger – in that casual stance of his. He could only see Kiba's profile, but he was sure that the small smile that was coming to his lips was for the smaller boy that was running out of the store towards him. Darcia had seen the boy before and could care less about him. All he could see…all he wanted…

"Kiba…" he muttered thickly while licking suddenly dry lips slowly. "So you are the one she wants. I can see why."

The pain in his eye had dulled to a throb and Darcia could control his breathing again. Signing the ticket quickly, he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He hardly took his eyes off the two men now walking away from the bakery and tossing a wad of bills (way too much than necessary), Darcia rose to his feet and began to walk as quickly as he could after them.

* * *

"Argh!"

"Whoa! Watch how you throw that thing," Hige complained as he reached for his precious DVD collections. "They said they'd be right back. They just went to get something for us to eat."

Tsume growled and stalked back into the bedroom to pick up a t-shirt. Hige dropped the DVDs he had gathered to go after the angry man. "Hey, listen…you know you can't go out like that. Your shoulder…"

"Is fine," Tsume finished tightly while cursing as maneuvering the simple t-shirt was turning out to be a chore. "You could have just sent only Toboe."

"Why?!" Hige replied in disbelief. "You know he can't just go out on his own now. Who knows what might be out there waiting for him…"

"And Kiba should be out as well?" Tsume retorted. He flung the shirt in frustration and paced the room restlessly. "You shouldn't have let him go!"

"Yeah, try telling Kiba 'no'," Hige said with a snort. "He didn't even wait for me to wake up completely before leaving the place with Toboe. I couldn't stop him! He would have kicked my ass anyway."

"That's not the point!"

How? How could he make Hige see just what lay at stake here? How could he tell this fat fool that it was not just the thought of allowing Kiba to go out on his own but the dangers that faced him? He knew Kiba could hold his own in a fight but it still didn't stop Tsume from feeling that he was about to lose a battle here. There was something or someone out there that was just waiting to destroy this farce of a peaceful life they had at the moment.

"You're worried about Jagara and Darcia right?" Hige asked softly as he watched Tsume sink to the bed. The brown-haired man scratched his head and smiled. "I wouldn't. Remember the only way they could track Kiba was with that jacket he had been wearing in the beginning? But now they're going to have a hard time pinpointing him. Besides…these are only two people and…"

"You know Darcia's strength, don't you?" Tsume asked quietly as he glanced at Hige warily. "You know that he's no ordinary person."

Hige remained silent and shuffled his feet. Tsume's eyes narrowed.

"Is there something you aren't telling us, Hige?" he asked coolly.

The younger man sighed and shrugged. "Look…I've lived in this city all my life, all right. I grew up hearing about Darcia and his…" He waved his hand lightly. "…this kid with a weird eye and to stay away from him. I'm sure that before he joined Jagara, he wasn't as strong as he is now. Maybe…"

"Jagara trained him?"

"Highly likely," Hige agreed with a frown. "But I'm sure Kiba can hold his own…right? He won't be easily swayed…"

"You didn't see the look in his eyes," Tsume interrupted quietly as he turned his head away to stare out of the window. "Kiba might be a fighter, but he's also a curious bastard. He'll want to know everything about who he really is. Even I want to know who I am."

"Tsume…"

"He won't rest until he finds out the truth," Tsume finished with a frown. "That's the kind of guy Kiba is. And if it means going into the very mouth of danger, that fool will do it without a second thought."

Hige swallowed tightly and turned away as well. A heavy silence fell in the room as both men began to wonder just what could lay in store for them. Hige didn't know Kiba that well and had just met Toboe last night, but he found that he was already concerned about these two men like they were his own flesh and blood. Perhaps it was this whole 'being a wolf' thing that was working right now for the thought of losing his two new friends was something he didn't like at all.

_Fuck._

"We'll wait," he finally said with a small but tight smile. "We'll wait until they come home. The bakery isn't that far and they should be back in half an hour at least. If not…"

He left the sentence unfinished but stealing another look at Tsume and catching the knowing golden depths, they both knew that they'd have to go 'hunting' again.

And this time, the outcome might be a little different from the night before.

* * *

Toboe found himself genuinely enjoying Kiba's company. It was fun to show off all the city's landmarks to Kiba who didn't seem to know very much about his whereabouts. They had bought the food for dinner but Kiba had wanted to walk around a bit longer and Toboe had been more than happy to oblige.

He couldn't stop grinning as he held the two ice cream cones in his hands and walked towards Kiba who was waiting for him on the park bench. It was turning out to be a beautiful evening and the sun was just about to sink in the horizon. It cast a lovely orange glow across the landscape and for a moment, one could almost forget that they were in the relative slums of the city.

"Here you go," Toboe said as he gave Kiba his vanilla flavored cone. He took a lick of his cherry flavored ice cream and sat down with a sigh of content. "Do you like it?"

He felt his cheeks flush as he watched Kiba's tongue flicker out to taste the sweet dessert. He still hadn't forgotten just how that tongue had been used yesterday in a much different way.

"Mmm, it's very good," Kiba agreed with a smile. He licked his lips and then leaned closer to have a taste of Toboe's. "And that's good as well."

"Hey!" Toboe tried to nudge Kiba for 'stealing' but still giggled happily. "Whoops…now look what you made me do."

Kiba eyed the red stain on the young boy's jacket. "I'm sorry," he began in apology. "I should go get some napkins to…"

"No, I'll get it, don't worry!" Toboe said quickly as he rose to his feet. "It's my fault anyway for not holding it tightly enough. I'll be right back, so don't you go anywhere without me!" He called out quickly as he began to run back to the ice cream stand.

He could hardly believe that just yesterday he had almost lost his life and now here he was eating ice cream with Kiba. His footsteps slowed as the enormity of the situation began to weigh on him. How could he afford to be happy when the man who had looked after him all his life was probably dead? How could he be happy after seeing how miserable his 'sister', Blue, had been last night?

"Blue…" he whispered softly as he stopped with a sad smile on his young features. "If only…"

"Trust you to be around such a place, Toboe," came the soft statement that him turning around quickly.

His eyes widened in genuine shock at the woman dressed in a white overcoat. Her hair and face was hidden beneath a black scarf and dark sunglasses but Toboe would have recognized her anywhere.

"Blu…Blu…Blue!" he cried out in joy as he raced towards her with arms outstretched. He wasn't aware that the tears had begun to fall as he felt her strong arms around his body. "You came," he whispered thickly amongst his harsh sobs. "You came. Just like I knew you would."

She said nothing but held his trembling body as tightly as possible. She would let him grieve for now and when she felt he was ready enough, she would do her best to talk him out of his madness he had descended into.

* * *

Kiba eyed his fingers that were now sticky and wet with melted vanilla. He had never had such a sweet dessert before…or maybe he had and just couldn't remember it. He lifted his fingers to his lips and began to suck on them slowly, hoping to get as much of the stickiness out of them as possible. However, as he licked, he felt his cheeks growing warm at the memory of feeling Tsume's fingers deep within him earlier in the day. It had felt incredibly good…a type of good that was not as sweet as ice cream though but still delicious all the same. He wondered if Tsume would want to touch him like that again or better yet if Tsume would allow himself to be touched that intimately. Now that was something Kiba realized he would like to find out.

And to think he had fallen asleep in Tsume's arms…that thought alone was enough to make him want to…

"Ah, forgive me for bothering you but I am looking for a pet of mine. You wouldn't happen to have seen a little wolf walk by now, have you?"

Kiba lifted his head so quickly that he hardly felt the ice cream slip from his fingers and to the ground. His feral instincts kicked in sharply. The scent…that scent that he was now so familiar with reeled off this man standing before him in waves. Kiba was sure he was going to faint from just how strong and potent it was and he grit his teeth as he felt his entire body flush with heat in reaction to the taller man's presence.

He braced himself in readiness for a fight but as he stared into an endless pool of blue, he felt his breath catch in his throat as Darcia held out his hand to him.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself, Kiba," the taller man said with a warm smile. "My name is Darcia and I would like to speak to you…alone."

TBC…


	9. Scent Of Deceit

First, let me apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out. Real Life has really been a bitch lately and it's hard to concentrate on things when you've got to deal with that. I can't believe the emails that I've gotten about this story and people wishing for it to be continued and I am really grateful for that. /bows gratefully/ You guys make me so happy. To get back into the mood of Wolf's Rain, I pumped myself full of the OST, so if you don't have that, go get it! I swear I could see some of the scenes as I wrote and the song was playing in the background /lol/

Much, much thanks to **shini-neko-chan**, **Forsaken** (hugs you!), **Aspirinforyourheadache **(holy cow, your response to my YYH fic made me smile last night. Thanks so much for the extra encouragement!), **Female Heero Yuy** (I have finally updated!) **Sky Child** (Thank you! I'll have to try to get back to this just being about Kiba and Tsume but I'm just having too much fun with the others as well. Thank you for reading), **Morganna** (Darcia becoming a good guy? Surely you jest/lol/ But thanks for the feedback and your kickass email! I'm still having illegal thoughts about a Darcia/Tsume/Kiba manwich but that's for a later time.) **Slover Pink** (thank you for the email as well! That helped to spark my muses!) and last but not least **fangsire.**

So without further ado, enjoy! I think this will have about two chapters left…but we'll see. /smile/

* * *

**Part Eight**

**Scent of Deceit:**

He could hear the fat one moving about in the other room, trying his best to clean up the small apartment as best he could. The television was on and Tsume could hear the soft laughter from a studio audience on some dumb game show sucking up to an equally lame host. He growled and scratched his head restlessly, biting his lower lip as he stared out of the window with growing impatience. Although, he and Hige had promised to wait for at least another half hour, Tsume still couldn't get rid of the thought that sitting here and waiting for Kiba and Toboe to show up was probably the worst idea they could have come up with.

_Since when?_ He thought ruefully. _Since when did I give a shit about someone else like this?_

He had always trusted his instincts – always believed that his first choices in whatever he chose to do was almost always the best. It had never failed him in the past…well allowing himself to be swindled by Sykes and his gang had been one such mistake…but for the most part, he had done very well for himself and took pride in being able to handle anything that came his way. He wondered what would have happened if he hadn't stopped to pick up Kiba on that fateful day. He wondered if he would have been somewhere else at this time probably trying to get some new or illegal contract or deal. He wasn't short on cash or anything, but the last failed job had dealt him a serious blow to his finances.

However, that was still no excuse for what was happening now. If he hadn't met Kiba, he would have lived on – knowing nothing about his supposed 'wolf' heritage and also not wanting to be a part of it anyway.

_If you hadn't met Kiba, you would have died, boy._

Tsume made a face at the taunting voice knowing full well that it was right. If that nosey guy hadn't come butting in, he might have been floating all over the ocean in a tiny million pieces by now. Just another damn statistic in this fucked up city.

So what did this mean? That he owed Kiba a favor? No, both of them had repaid each other in kind, so what the hell was he still doing here? Why hadn't he walked away from this motley bunch of misfits hours ago? Why couldn't he just go back to his apartment and stay there and pretend that last night and this morning hadn't happened?

_Because you're knee deep in this mess, boy_, the taunting voice began again – this time much louder and much more persistent. _It's because of him and you know it. You like the way he feels against you, don't you? You like the way he tastes and fits just right with you, don't you? You want to ravish him completely, don't you? Claim him as yours, eh, boy? _

"Shut up…shut up…" he muttered harshly into the silence, but it refused to stop as it continued its merciless commentary. This wasn't just about wanting Kiba physically. It was much deeper than that - so much more than just carnal pleasures.

_Oh and what's all this about a wolf and about being a bunch of animals, hmm? So yeah, you do act that way sometimes, but don't you think it's a bit strange? Don't you want to know more about your past?_

"No!"

Hige stuck his head into the bedroom with a quizzical look on his face. "Did you say something, Tsume?" he asked.

"No…I'm fine."

"Ah, okay…because I just thought I heard you screaming 'No!' and I was curious and…"

"Just get the fuck out, Hige."

"Right."

He could hear the fat one hurl an insult to him from the safety of the living room and Tsume couldn't help the small smirk that came to his lips. The fat one might have issues, but at least he wasn't afraid to say what he thought about people.

_Wanting to know more about my past, hmm?_

He didn't want to think about his past for he knew that it would only bring back a well of memories which contained bitterness and pain. If he had any parents, he didn't know of them. His earliest memory was of him sitting in the middle of cobbled streets, with cold rain seeping into his bones.

Abandoned. Alone. Helpless.

And then one day…he had looked up to meet cold and gray eyes which held no promises. What choice did a little boy have, but to go with one who could at least give him a roof over his head and some food which he had so desperately needed. But as the saying goes, all things must come with a price and Tsume had known first-hand just what price he had to pay for being 'protected' by his mentor.

He rubbed a hand across his forehead wearily and tired to will away the bile that had risen to his throat. What was the use of thinking about a past that could not be rectified? He had the future to think about now and that future consisted of a curious fool who had come waltzing into his life to turn it upside down.

"You had better be safe, Kiba," he whispered a bit too fiercely. "You had better be safe."

* * *

"Forgive me for not introducing myself, Kiba. My name is Darcia and I would like to speak to you…alone."

_Darcia. Darcia! Darcia!_

The name resonated in Kiba's mind over and over again, causing him to wince at the sudden gamut of conflicting emotions that raced through it. He was aware of his shallow breathing and the perspiration that had broken out on his seemingly feverish skin. He had no idea of what kind of power this man exuded, but Kiba knew that it was going to be a lost cause trying to pick a fight with him.

Besides, hadn't Hige said that Darcia was an integral part of the hunt for him? If he wanted to know more about his supposed Wolf origins, he would have to rely on this man to fill in the blanks for him. However, what was quite embarrassing and rather humiliating was the 'other' kind of effect Darcia was having on him. Having assumed that only Tsume could make him feel this surge of heat to a rather sensitive region on his body, Kiba could now feel the very same thing happening as he met the cool blue eye that peered at him. The inane thought of throwing Darcia to the ground and having his way with him overwhelmed the younger man till the point of him thinking that the world was about to sway off its axis.

"Perhaps we should go somewhere more private," Darcia was saying and Kiba could feel his head moving back and forth in denial.

"We…we can talk here." Yes, out here in public where he could still maintain some sort of self-control over his emotions. He wanted to be done with Darcia, so that Toboe wouldn't have to meet him in person.

Speaking of Toboe, the young boy was taking an awfully long time in getting the napkins.

"Out here?" Darcia masked his displeasure at the suggestion with a small smile. He knew he could forcibly take Kiba away from here if he so chose to, but he had to woo this beautiful creature and that would mean taking his time to get to know Kiba. He eyed the vicinity, noting that only a few late evening visitors strolled the park. He narrowed his gaze as he picked up two weak but distinct scents of the other beasts. He knew that one of them was the boy Kiba had come with and Darcia could only assume that the second belonged to the female. It seemed like both of them had survived the incident at Quent's mansion after all.

"All right," he finally said with an amiable smile as he sat on the bench beside Kiba. He noticed the younger man flinch and he hid a smirk of satisfaction. It would be so easy to persuade Kiba to come with him – even better would be to have this man writhing below him in pure ecstasy.

"How do you know my name?" Kiba asked suddenly. He deliberately kept his gaze fixed somewhere above Darcia's eyes for he had the feeling that if he kept staring into that blue gaze, he would eventually lose his resolve. "How did you find me? And what do you want from me?"

"Haha, a million and one questions already, Kiba," the older man said with a light shrug. "I love your direct approach. It's quite refreshing to see…"

"Answer my questions, Darcia," came the cold retort which did nothing to hide Kiba's impatience.

The older man's brows furrowed at the sharp tone and with some effort, he managed to contain his own irritation. He forced another smile to his visage and replied quietly.

"I am just like you, Kiba and believe me; it's very easy to track down a fellow wolf…"

"Stop saying that," Kiba growled, taking a quick glance around as if hoping that no one else had heard that. "What proof do you have to say something like that?"

Darcia's lips curved into a smirk. "You know as well as I do the differences between you and the other humans. You have noticed your incredible strength and your heightened senses of smell, sight and sound, have you not? Tell me, Kiba where did you come from?"

The dark-haired man blinked in confusion, the words forming on his lips to give a response, but they died away as he stared into Darcia's mocking blue eye. "I…I came from…"

_From where?_ He could feel his head beginning to pound again like a million tiny soldiers pacing up and down incessantly. He sank trembling hands into his hair, his features tight with concentration as he tried to remember something…_anything _about his childhood.

_There was a fire…_

"You don't remember anything, do you?" Darcia crooned softly into Kiba's ear, causing Kiba to flinch back with something akin to terror in his eyes. There was something vaguely familiar about Darcia now – something that did not bring good memories at all.

"Sta…stay away from me," Kiba began as he began to slide away on the bench and away from the penetrating stare. "You…"

"Go on," Darcia cajoled in a husky voice filled with temptation and promises. "It hurts, doesn't it? The memories…"

"Stay away from me!" Kiba cried out in terror, but this time instead of pulling back, he found himself lunging forward to sink his fangs into Darcia's left shoulder. He could feel the man flinch and hiss in pain but Darcia made no move to fight back. He closed his eyes and moaned in satisfaction, a feral grin coming to his features as Darcia realized he had achieved his purpose.

The blood thrummed through Kiba's veins like a rush of adrenaline and he continued to suck hungrily.

_Like a vampire,_ he thought wildly as he felt every pore on his flesh, every nerve become alive at the delicious taste of his tormentor. _I'm like a fucking vampire! Stop this! Stop this now! Oh god…_

He could feel his lashes growing heavier – a slow lethargic feeling coming over him as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He was falling under Darcia's spell and the more he struggled to fight it off, the weaker he became. He was a proud man and hated to rely on anyone for help, but Kiba was powerless to stop himself from thinking of the one person that he needed more than anything else in the world at this time.

_Tsume…Tsu…me…come for me!_

* * *

"Will you not come with me to see him?" Blue asked softly as she caressed the boy's hair gently. Toboe's head lay on her lap and for the meantime; Kiba and the ice-cream were completely forgotten.

Toboe, who had been enjoying Blue's attention, sighed softly at the inevitable question. He sat up slowly and turned his gaze away as if ashamed of the response he was about to give. "I…I don't think it would be a good idea, Blue."

"He was good to us, Toboe," Blue said almost desperately. "You can't just abandon him now in his time of need…"

"He tried to kill me!" Toboe whispered back fiercely before lowering his gaze again. His cheeks flushed at the memory of Kiba and Tsume and he shook his head slowly. "They…Kiba, Tsume and Hige…if it wasn't for them, I'd be dead now, Blue. I thought you'd be able to understand that."

Her eyes flashed for an instant at the names of the others and she rose to her feet, her lips tightened in displeasure. "He rescued you from the streets and took care of you when no one else would and this is how you repay him? I thought you were better than that, Toboe. He must have been out of his mind by then…when he tried to kill you that is…I mean…he would never have done that if those…those _men_ hadn't showed up." She placed her hands upon his shoulders, staring deeply into his widened brown eyes. "Come with me, Toboe. Let's get away from this place! We'll make a new life together, just you and I, what do you say?"

"I…I can't Blue," Toboe whispered thickly. He could feel the sting of unshed tears burn in his eyes as he lowered his head sadly. "I want…to be with them….ah!" He gasped and rose to his feet quickly, causing Blue's hands to fall away from his shoulders. He sniffed the air gently – not really aware he was doing so – and then frowned as he looked towards the direction of where he had left Kiba.

"Do you smell that, Blue?" Toboe asked softly as his entire being became taut with awareness. The female sucked in a harsh breath at the sight the normally timid boy made. There was something so wild and unkempt about the way he looked and for a moment, she was sure she had seen Toboe flash a pair of fangs. She shook her head rapidly and took a step backwards. She too was aware of what was going on and had tried her best to stop Toboe from feeling it too. But there was no denying the prickle of awareness on her skin or the heavy scent of a being just like…_them_.

"Let's…let's go, Toboe," she began. "Let's get away from here…"

"No!" His eyes flashed with determination. "I'm tired of running away and I won't do it anymore! Kiba's in trouble and I have to help him!"

With that said, the boy began to run as fast as he could, towards the area he had last left his companion. He kicked himself for becoming too distracted with Blue, and now…who knew what was happening to the older man? The sound of running footsteps beside him had Toboe turning his head quickly. His eyes widened in surprise as he met Blue's determined profile.

"Blu…Blue?"

"Don't think I'm going to let you get into trouble," she replied curtly, but Toboe could see the small smile on her lips and he felt incredibly pleased at her decision.

However, they came to a screeching halt as they noticed the tall man walking away with Kiba slung over his shoulder.

"Kiba!" Toboe cried out in dismay. "Let Kiba go!" He made a mad dash for the man, but Blue held him back. "Let me go, Blue! Damn it! Let me go! Let Kiba go!"

"Wise decision there," Darcia said softly as he eyed the newcomers with interest. The few visitors at the park had stopped to witness the new developments but neither participant paid much attention to them. "What's the use of trying to stop me, hmm, Toboe?"

The young boy gasped. "How…who are you!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Darcia teased with a sneer as he began to walk away. "Run back to your master, young ones and do not bother with the big boys, hmm?"

"You let him go now," Blue demanded fiercely. She was standing before Toboe, her hands clenched into tight fists, eyes flashing with anger even though she wasn't sure of why she was even protecting this Kiba anyway. It wasn't as if she liked him neither was she going to be friends with him. She was just doing this for Toboe and that was all.

Darcia, who had begun to walk away again, stopped and cocked his head to the side to eye the blue beast baring its fangs at him. "Beautiful," he muttered softly. "If I wasn't already enamored with the white one, I'd take you away, my dear Blue."

Her eyes narrowed in fury at the deliberate taunt and she lunged for him, only to find herself being hurled several feet into the air and thrown rather painfully against a sturdy tree.

"BLUE!" Toboe cried out in horror as he watched her slide down to the ground in a slump. He could see the dark red blood that was beginning to pool around her head. "Blue…Blue…"

"Pray, she's all right," the man replied lazily as he began to walk away again. "She'll be…hmm?"

Toboe had moved fast and now had his fangs buried within Darcia's left arm. He snarled angrily at the steady blue gaze that was directed at him, while wondering if he could knock Kiba away at the same time. The dark-haired wolf looked unconscious and there was blood around his mouth as well. Just what had Darcia done to Kiba?

"So you can display some courage and strength when provoked," Darcia observed coolly, hardly paying attention to the blood that was now trailing down his arm from Toboe's unrelenting grip. "But I weary of you weak ones…so very much."

He lifted a leg and tried to kick Toboe, but the boy hadn't been a professional thief for nothing. He dodged the blow intended for him and swung to Darcia's left, burying his fangs within the man's thigh this time around. Darcia growled in fury and with a swift blow to the young wolf's head, finally managed to dislodge Toboe from him.

"Damn you," he muttered thickly, licking his bleeding hand as he watched the young one try to stagger to its feet. He placed a booted feet upon Toboe's head, smirking cruelly as he listened to the low whimpers of pain. "When the other ones come for surely they will, tell him – the one named Tsume – that I am waiting. He will find me easily enough. Tell him to trust his senses, hmm?"

Toboe tried fruitlessly to get to his feet, to scream, to do something to stop Darcia from getting away, but he was in pain and could barely see now, thanks to the thick flow of blood that blocked his vision. He could only watch as Kiba was taken away from him and as he found himself slipping into unconsciousness, he begged silently for Tsume to forgive him.

* * *

Tsume had felt it and he had thought he would go mad.

_Kiba's cry for help. _

Damn it!

Someone had him and Tsume had an idea of just who it was.

He was definitely going to go insane with rage.

They leapt from building to building, the sunset now giving way to a cool early evening as the moon began to rise into the darkened sky. Hige hadn't even bothered trying to tell Tsume to cool his jets because he too had felt Kiba's confusion and desperate plea for help. He had no idea how they were going to deal with a man like Darcia but he had a feeling that being with Tsume would make things so much easier.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Tsume cried out as he began to run even faster. "Do you feel that!

"Yeah…it's Toboe…and…" Hige stalled, not really sure of what he was sensing. "The girl!"

"Makes no difference now!" Tsume yelled back. He could see the park in his sights and leaping down to the ground, he sped down the streets, leapt over the wrought iron fence and glanced frantically around for where the two wolves could be. It wasn't difficult to spot them as a few curious onlookers and concerned citizens had them surrounded.

"Get out of the way," Tsume growled as he pushed a few of the people aside. One look at the slumped female against the tree and then towards Toboe told him all he needed to know. "Hige! Take care of the woman; let's get them out of here before…"

"Hey, mister leave them alone," Someone cried out. "There's an ambulance coming!"

"They don't need an ambulance," Tsume retorted sharply as he lifted Toboe within his arms. "Got her, Hige?"

The brown-haired man nodded firmly and with a look of understanding between them, they leapt out of sight with their precious cargo. They finally came to a stop beside the main river which separated the Main City from the Lower Sections. Tsume gathered some water in his hands and washed away the blood from Toboe's face as gently as he could, noticing that Hige was doing the same for the woman.

_Where? Where is he? Where have they taken him to!_

Toboe coughed softly as he felt the water against his lips. He shivered and trembled within Tsume's arms. It was as if he had heard Tsume's desperate questions in his mind and as he opened his lashes weakly, he stared into the tortured visage above him.

"Some…some guy…" he began but coughed again as he felt something thick lodge in his throat. Tsume winced at the amount of blood that escaped the boy's lips and swore to kill the guy responsible for this.

"Who…?" Tsume asked softly as he wiped away the blood. "What did he look like?"

"She says its Darcia," Hige said as he held up Blue, who looked no better than Toboe. "There's no mistaking the guy with the patch, she says."

_"Darcia."_ It was one word that was spoken with so much venom; Toboe shrank back a little at the homicidal look that had now filled Tsume's eyes.

"Do you know where they went?" he finally asked coldly. Toboe shook his head slowly.

"He said you'd know where to find him…to trust your senses…and come find him…"

Tsume's jaw tightened as he rose to his feet, but a soft tug on his arm had him blinking at the boy on the ground. "What is it, Toboe?"

"Be…be careful…" the boy whispered pleadingly. "He's…so strong and I don't…I don't want to lose my new family…"

_And I don't want to lose the guy I'm going crazy for either,_ Tsume thought as he gave Toboe a small smile of reassurance. "I'll be fine. You just do your part and get better, got it kid? Hige?"

"Uh huh?"

"Take care of them…I'll be back for breakfast and make it for two."

Hige raised a brow but still looked at Tsume with a frown of determination on his features. "I'm holding you to that, buddy. If not, we'll all come looking for you guys."

Tsume saw Blue and Toboe nod in agreement at the decision and for the first time in his life, felt something akin to _happiness?_ In his heart. He had found a group of people he could finally trust and call friends and for that Tsume discovered that he was extremely grateful. He had people waiting for him now - people who actually gave a shit about his welfare and he knew that he couldn't afford to let them down.

"Sure, whatever," he growled thickly before turning away. He lifted a hand to give them a quick salute before leaping towards the bridge. He stood upon the tallest pole, watching the cars and boats below him like tiny ants with a look of indifference.

_Kiba…you bastard…look at what you're making me do. Why do I go crazy for you?_

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clearing his mind from all thoughts and concerns.

_Trust your senses…you'll know where to find me._

The half-moon peeked from dark clouds and Tsume opened up his eyes again. There was a feral glint in those golden eyes and his teeth seemed to have become sharper as they gleamed beneath the moonlight.

He could smell them – Darcia and Kiba. However, it was mingled as if they were both in consummation or in heat. Tsume's rage knew no bounds as he took flight towards the intoxicating scents of his prey.

He had no clear cut plan of what to do when he got there but he was determined to claim Kiba tonight even if it cost him his life.


	10. The Haunting Of The Past

**Notes:** A sincere apology for the looooooooooooooooooooooooooong delay in getting this chapter out. I confess that other things have taken precedence in my life, but I'm glad I'm back to finishing this story! There is one more chapter in the wings and then I'm afraid this story will have to come to an end. /sniffles/

I can't begin to tell you all how much your reviews and emails have meant to me in the past few months. Without your constant support and encouragement, I might never have gotten this finished.

I'm literally flying out the door as I type this, so I won't have the time to thank each and every single one of you personally. But you all know yourselves and as always, you rock!

Thank you again for being patient with me! So without further ado…enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Nine:**

**The Haunting Of The Past:**

It was an appropriate setting, he thought. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the city with its foul stench and polluted air. Far away from the pretentious smiles of humans and their sickly or hypocritical tendencies. Far away from the rigors of a stressful life and into the true beauty of nature and what it had to offer. It was a great pity it was nighttime for the once glorious estate which had belonged to the Nobles in the past was but a shadow of its former self now.

White marble columns which had once stood proudly beneath the hot Mediterranean sun, were now either broken to pieces or barely able to stand upright. Once lush and breathtaking gardens, which had stretched out as far as the eye could see, was now nothing but a jungle of tangled weeds and creeping vines. The lake, which had once been a sparkling blend of blues and greens, looked black and murky beneath the pale moonlight and where the grand castle had once stood, was now nothing more than a jutting rock from the earth.

Time and decay had really taken a toll on this place.

Darcia closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his memories taking him to the many times he had been made to visit this place with Jagara. He had listened to her wistful stories as she walked through the 'gardens'. And with her power of description, while reading the Book of Wolves, Darcia had always managed to take himself back to a time when Nobles ruled the land and this they had considered as their version of Paradise. But it had all been destroyed when Man had gained more wisdom and strength. Some Nobles had betrayed their own and joined with the humans causing an era of extreme wealth, power and decadence to be destroyed over the course of the years. Darcia could still hear the bitterness in Jagara's voice as she had recanted the tale. It had only made her resolve to recapture Paradise and destroy the humans more prominent in her mind.

A low groan broke him out of his reverie and he opened his eyes, turning around slowly to eye the naked man lying amongst the wild and rather long grass. Darcia smiled to himself, allowing his eye to roam over the hard lines and planes of the young wolf's human form. He licked his lips slowly and fell to his knees beside the beautiful creature, his gaze growing darker with lust with each rise and fall of Kiba's chest.

"Even your very breath intoxicates me," he murmured as he leaned closer to Kiba's parted lips. "Do you truly know how beautiful you are, Kiba?"

He raked long finger nails across the broad chest, teasing the hardened nipples gently before pinching them as hard as he could. He smirked at the soft gasp it elicited from his captive, now aware that other parts of Kiba's body were beginning to respond to his touches.

"Oh, if Tsume could see you now, my delicious pet," he whispered huskily, his tongue tracing the outline of Kiba's jaw while his hand continued it's journey down the lightly heaving torso and to the obvious display of Kiba's arousal. "How jealous would he be?"

* * *

I'm…so…pathetic. Why can't I move or stop him? It's as if he's taken my will to fight or to struggle.

The others would laugh at me if I told them about this…and Tsume…what will Tsume do? Will he leave me? Won't he come rescue me? It's not that I need him that much but…but…yet I do…because he's like me…and I'm like him…and I think I'm confusing myself. The way he's touching me, I can barely think.

Tsume! Where are you!

But what…what is this place? Why does it seem so familiar? I feel like I've been here before…sometime…a long time ago. And all of us…we were…searching…for something. And there was this smell. A special kind of smell…like a flower…so…sweet…and warm…and comforting…

Like Cheza.

_Cheza!_

"Cheza…" he whispered thickly.

But who…who or what was this _Cheza?_

* * *

Darcia stiffened at the name that slipped past Kiba's lips. He lifted his head to pin a cold blue gaze on the man below him. Kiba's eyes were barely visible, his lashes still lowered as if in sleep, but there was no denying that the younger man was more alert now.

"What did you say?"

Kiba could sense the tension that seemed to roll off his captor in waves. He struggled to lift his head, forcing his lax muscles to cooperate with him. There was something about Darcia's look that had Kiba wondering if the dark-haired man knew a whole lot more than he was letting on.

"Che…za…Cheza," he muttered, eyes narrowing with determination. His head felt like it was being pounded upon with a million hammers, but he had to know the truth about his past. Who was he and where had he come from? Darcia knew and Kiba was sure of it now. "Who was Cheza!"

"What do you know about anything?" came the cold hiss from the taller man. He growled and forced Kiba back to the ground, his hands digging deep grooves into Kiba's shoulders. There was now a maniacal look in his eye and for a brief moment, Kiba was terrified to the depths of his soul. He knew that he would really be killed at this point unless he did something fast.

Darcia, for his part, wasn't sure of _why_ he was getting upset. But that name had sparked something deep within him that was frightening and rather troubling. He didn't want to think about it, but it still managed to come back anyway. There was a deep feeling of loss, sorrow and helplessness. He had suffered a humiliating defeat in the hands on this man below him but how? And why? Was there something in his past that Jagara had failed to tell him?

"A flower…" he grit out tightly between clenched teeth. "She was…a flower…and she…she…aaaaaaaaaarrrghh!"

He tore himself away from Kiba, his hands going to either side of his head as he continued to give his unearthly scream. It was filled with anguish, hatred and bitterness but it was good enough to break the spell he had cast over his captive. Kiba staggered weakly to his feet but crouched again in wariness and confusion as he watched Darcia's demented actions.

_What in the world is wrong with him?_

"YOU!" He suddenly thundered as he spun around to face Kiba. The patch he had worn over his eye was now gone to reveal the feral glare of a golden but undeniable wolf-like eye. "It was all your fault! You were the one responsible for keeping us out of paradise! I remember it all now…you…it was YOU!"

And then he moved, so fast that Kiba barely had the time to dodge from the force of his blow. But somehow he did and rolled away as several trees behind him suffered the consequences instead. Kiba wasn't given much time to recover as Darcia came charging after him again, but he was slightly ready now. He braced himself and held his ground, catching Darcia by the waist in a crushing embrace. This sent them tumbling down a small slope with Darcia still trying to get his hands around Kiba's throat to choke the life out of him. Kiba could see that they were going to fall into the lake and couldn't stop them in time. The water was like a million cold needles against his fevered flesh and the force of their fall caused him to relinquish his hold on the deranged man. He dove as deep as he could beneath the water and away from Darcia, but the dark figure of his pursuer followed incessantly.

Darcia was determined to kill him and there was nothing in the world to stop him now.

* * *

Tsume landed lithely upon the jagged rocks, wild gray eyes staring at the landscape around him with mild confusion.

Why did it feel as if he had been here before?

It was a considerable distance from the city and he was sure he had never been in this part of the Outer City before. So why? Why did it feel like he had been here with the _others_ a long time ago? What was this dull headache that refused to quit? And why was there suddenly a faint but rather pleasant smell of a flower he couldn't explain? He looked at the bleak surroundings, not seeing any flowers of any sort. The only plants around here were grass, creeping vines and trees which looked like they had been burnt out from the sun or a raging fire. It was a desolate place – hardly fitting for something as beautiful as a flower to grow in.

He sniffed the air again, trying to catch the scents of Darcia and Kiba. For a while, it had been strong, but now…it seemed to have faded away again.

"AAAARGGHH!"

"What the fuck!"

That scream of terror…no not terror…more like anger…was coming from somewhere up ahead. Was that Kiba? It couldn't be but damn it! If it was, Tsume was never going to forgive Darcia for hurting him!

With a low growl, he leapt from his perch and began to run as fast as he could towards the sounds. He came to a screeching halt as he finally reached his destination. At first he couldn't believe what he was seeing, but there was no denying it. Darcia and Kiba were definitely in a fight.

But Kiba was _naked!_ So who knew what that bastard had done to his friend!

He opened up his mouth to yell 'Kiba watch out!' but the words died on his lips as he watched them begin to roll down the slope. Cursing beneath his breath at Kiba's lack of tact, he began to run towards them, barely reaching the lake as the duo fell into it with a heavy splash.

_Shit!_

"Kiba!" he bellowed, trying hard to make out their figures beneath the murky waters. "KIBA! Can you hear me! Kiba!"

* * *

_Tsume!_

Kiba felt his already tightening lungs palpitate with excitement and pleasure at the thought of Tsume actually being here. He didn't want to hope for too much, but there was no denying that gruff voice that seemed to be calling out to him.

_Tsume! I'm down…argh!_

Darcia's fingers had wrapped itself around his ankle. Kiba formed a tight fist and struck out blindly, a smirk of satisfaction coming to his visage as he felt it make contact with Darcia's cheek. The hold on his ankle was weakening and with a strong kick, he lashed at Darcia again with success. He could barely see Darcia floating away from him, obviously in pain, but Kiba knew he'd have to get out of the lake to get some air. He could hardly breathe.

He kicked furiously, refusing to give in to the wave of dizziness that was beginning to wash over him. He could see the surface and was sure he could see Tsume's concerned visage above him.

_Please don't let it be my imagination. Please…let it be him…_

He burst through the surface with a loud gasp, water streaming down his face as he sucked in huge gulps of much needed air. Sure enough, staring down at him with an undisguised look of relief on his handsome features was Tsume. It looked like he was about ready to jump into the lake himself, but Kiba, too pleased to see his friend, leapt out of the water and wrapped his arms around Tsume's neck as tightly as he could.

"You…!" Tsume tried to complain as he was thrown back to the ground with the force of Kiba's embrace. He blushed darkly, trying to will himself not to respond to the feel of that naked body against his again. It seemed like anytime he had to rescue the dark-haired man, he was always in this state. Not that he could blame his captors, Kiba was a beautiful human being to look at.

"Hey now," he muttered thickly, his trembling hands holding on to Kiba's waist lightly. He gasped as Kiba's lips sought and found his blindly. The kiss was clumsy, wet and heated – both knowing that they didn't really have the time to be doing this anyway.

"Come with me," Kiba whispered against Tsume's lips. "We have to get away from here as fast as we can. There is something I have to tell you."

"Wha….?"

Not waiting for Tsume to recover from the gamut of emotions that raced through him at this time, Kiba rose to his feet, pulling Tsume after him.

"Not so fast, my young wolf," came the mocking voice that had both Tsume and Kiba spinning around quickly. Darcia was walking out of the water with a cold smirk on his visage. Tsume noticed the eye for the first time and hissed in a sharp breath.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he asked in disbelief. "What the hell is this! Just who the hell are you!"

"Why don't you ask your friend there?" Darcia teased with a wicked grin forming on his features. He stepped onto the bank and took off his soaked sweater, revealing a broad chest to their gaze. "You remember everything now, don't you, Kiba?"

"Kiba?" Tsume asked slowly, eyeing the other man who was now looking away with his gaze lowered to the ground. Tsume could feel Kiba's hand trembling on his wrist and he frowned in growing concern. Just what had Darcia done to him! "Kiba…"

"We…we were once together…in another time…another world," Kiba began quietly, still not looking at the two men watching him.

Tsume looked confused but then he remembered the feeling of déjà vu he had experienced when he arrived here. So where his suspicions confirmed? Had he really been here before?

"Bull shit," he muttered tightly. "What's all this crap about being in another world and another time? I've never seen you two before in my life!"

"But you don't think it's odd that you all managed to find each other again so easily?" Darcia asked with a raised brow. "I highly doubt it's just a coincidence."

Like how he had known where Kiba was in the beginning. The scent that had rolled off Kiba…knowing he was one of his kind.

Kiba's grip tightened on Tsume's wrist. "We were…together….you, me, Toboe…Hige and Blue…we were being hunted…the last wolves on earth at the time…and…Cheza…"

_Cheza!_

"…the flower…maiden…"

Tsume's eyes widened and he tore his arm away from Kiba's grip. His heartbeat quickened as he took a step backward. For a brief moment, he had glimpsed an image of a flower – a beautiful white flower with what seemed like a million tiny petals and a yellow center. And there had been this girl.

"This girl…" he murmured and held a hand to his temple. "You…you were so obsessed with her…it drove me nuts."

_What? What am I saying!_

"Bullshit!" he bellowed again in denial, shaking his head rapidly. He glared at Darcia. "This is all your fault! I don't know what kind of drug you gave to him, but I don't remember a goddamn thing! I was born and raised in this city! I don't know my parents but fuck if I know anything about some flower or wolf or just….Ki…Kiba?"

Kiba had moved closer to him and now had his forehead pressed gently against Tsume's.

"Close your eyes, Tsume," he whispered as their warm breaths mingled. His hand slid down to capture the silver-haired man's within his and he held on tightly. "Come with me, Tsume….I have something to show you…"

Darcia, who was watching the proceedings with great interest, gasped as the scenery seemed to change right before his eyes.

_What…what's happening?_

Tsume, who had obeyed Kiba's strange request, could feel the change in the air as well. What and who was Kiba really? What kind of power did he have? Was he even stronger than Darcia and they didn't know it?

"Open your eyes," Kiba commanded softly and Tsume did…only to find himself fighting back a scream of shock at the sight that met his gaze.

_Me! It's…me!_

He, Kiba, Toboe and Hige to be exact. The four of them were running across an empty expanse of land with what seemed like nothing in sight for miles. What was even stranger was the fact that they seemed to be changing into wolves right before his very eyes. Kiba was a breathtaking white beast, he – a rich silver, Hige – a light brown while Toboe was a richer shade of the same color.

He barely felt Kiba – _his _Kiba – pressing against him or the softly spoken words that filled his ear.

"I remembered while I was in the lake," Kiba was saying. "It all came back to me even though I didn't want to. How we met – the fights we got into – my search for…"

"For paradise," Tsume whispered, his voice seeming to come from a million miles away. The scenes changed before his eyes. There was the time he and Kiba had first met and even then Tsume had known there was something between them – something so strong and tangible it couldn't be put into mere words. It wasn't lust but a passion that had been born from being able to fight with one of his own kind.

"I was always a loner," he continued as the scene changed again to show his first meeting with Toboe. "That damn brat…and the fat one…" He watched as Hige came into the picture. All four of them. It had been destined from the beginning. And then the girl.

_Cheza._

"Do you know I hated her at first?" Tsume murmured thickly. "I couldn't stand the way she seemed to be the only thing on your mind. You were such an asshole."

Kiba had the grace to blush. "I was determined to find Paradise…"

"But we didn't quite make it, did we?"

And just as he said that, the scene became bleak and miserable. They were dying…all of them…Kiba had been taken away and Tsume could feel the naked man tremble beside him at the memory. There was the picture of Darcia killing Toboe and Quent and Tsume could feel his blood boil again.

"Son of a bitch," he growled. But the scenes became even worse. They had reached the end of the world, it seemed and they had all fought valiantly against Darcia, but none of them had lasted besides Kiba. Kiba who had gone on, fighting even though his chances were slim.

"You…" Tsume's eyes widened as he watched the final sequences. Darcia's death. Cheza finally bleeding and becoming a withered plant and Kiba…

_Alone._

"I was the only one left…" Kiba said quietly as he walked away from Tsume to hold out his hand towards the image of his former self. "The only one left in the world it seemed. I had to…I was the chosen one…left to create a whole new world for everyone to live in again."

"And this was the result?" Tsume asked in awe.

Kiba nodded slowly. "When I opened my eyes again….there was this. I knew there was something I had to finish but I couldn't remember what it was until he brought me back to this place."

Kiba closed his eyes and just as quickly the scenery changed to reveal the bleak remains of the ruins. The effort seemed to weaken Kiba for he staggered a little, causing Tsume to wrap his arms around him tightly.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"Fine…I'm fine," came the soft reply, but it was Darcia's mocking laughter that had both men eyeing him warily.

"What's so funny, you sick fuck?" Tsume asked coldly, not relinquishing his hold on Kiba. "Give me one reason why we shouldn't kill you right now?"

Darcia stopped long enough to look at Kiba. "So have you given up on your search for the flower, Kiba? That's what you're here for, isn't it? You came here to find them all again…to use them to your gain, isn't it? Just like you dragged them all to their demise in your past life."

"That….that's not true," Kiba retorted heatedly. "I didn't want them to come with me! I was fine on my own…!"

"Indeed," Darcia smirked coldly. "But you still dragged them along with you. With your promise for a Paradise that's foolhardy…"

"But you wanted to go for it too, didn't you?" Tsume asked tightly. "Don't make it seem like you weren't just as greedy!"

"So you do agree that Kiba was being selfish! What makes you think he really cares for you now, Tsume?"

Kiba felt Tsume stiffen against him and he began to shake his head softly, trying to convey the swirling emotions within him properly. He wasn't using Tsume or any of the others. Things had taken its course and he was powerless to stop them, but there was one thing he was sure of and that was his feelings for Tsume. He wanted to remain with this man – in this lifetime – for as long as Tsume would let him.

_It's not true, Tsume. I would never use you._

"Well?" Darcia asked with a raised brow. "Don't you find it a bit odd that all of a sudden he's being so nice to you? He only wants to use you again, Tsume. Kiba is incapable of feeling such a trivial emotion like _love_, if that's what you're thinking."

Both men had the grace to flush at the word but Tsume refused to let Darcia get to him. Kiba couldn't possibly be using him he?

"You're wrong," he replied. "Kiba's different now. We're not as obsessed as you are with Paradise. We're happy in this world and with what we are!"

"But you'll always be a wolf," Darcia howled in laughter as he rose to his feet and began to walk towards them, a feral glint now in his eyes. "No matter how much you try to run away from it, you'll always remain a beast and one day I'll be the one to find this elusive Paradise and make it mine! I wouldn't even need that woman to….urgh!"

The report had been so loud that Kiba and Tsume had to cover their ears at the sound of it. Darcia staggered forward, a shocked and almost baffled look in his eyes as if wondering just what had happened to him. But as Kiba and Tsume watched the trickle of blood flow from the corner of his mouth, they realized that Darcia had indeed been shot.

"Who…what…?" he choked out thickly, watching almost moronically at the dark spot that was beginning to form somewhere below his chest.

He turned around slowly, staggering weakly as he lifted his gaze to stare at the lonely figure standing upon the cliffs. There was no denying the long shock of blond hair that fluttered softly in the breeze or the black weapon that was still pointed directly at him.

"Ja…Jagara…" he asked in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. How had she known? How long had she been there? He really had to give her some credit. She wasn't as gullible as she let on. There had always been that shadow of a doubt in their relationship and now…now he knew the truth or did he? He took a heavy step forward. "Why…?"

"I hate liars," came the simple reply and with no warning she fired again, this time sending Darcia falling to the ground in a heap. The bullet had gone through his forehead and some of his blood splashed upon Kiba and Tsume's skin as they watched the proceedings in stupefied disbelief.

"You are next, my precious white wolf," the woman said with a warm and almost deranged smile on her features. "I'm so glad he led me to you. He thought he could take you away from me, but I followed him and I watched and I knew I could have you to myself. And as for you," she pointed the gun towards Tsume. "I won't be needing you anymore."

"You bitch!" Tsume bellowed as he ran towards her with every intention of killing her right there and then. But as Jagara fired the gun one last time, Tsume felt himself being pushed out of the way by the force of Kiba's embrace.

_Kiba! No, you fool!_

He barely heard the gun's report, but could clearly see the whiff of smoke rolling off Kiba's body and the blood…oh dear god, the blood! It was just too much!

"Kiba," he began in a trembling whisper filled with fear, fury and anger as his arms tightened around the heavy body in his arms. "Kiba…Kiba... KIBAAAAAA!"


	11. Tales of a Flower

Whew. It's taken me long enough to get another chapter written! Holy crap, almost a year…if not more than. My sincere apologies. So to make it up to you, here's the final chapter and epilogue as a thank you to everyone whose emailed me and asked about this story. Hopefully, the final pieces all come together. I had to re-watch the last few episodes to really understand the significance of 'Paradise' to these wolves. Thank you again for your patience, kind comments and for reading. Enjoy and thanks for taking this journey with me. :)

**Warning:** Graphic Lemon Scene! Tsume/Kiba of course.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**Tales of a Flower**

The trio stiffened as if on cue, Blue's gasp of shock sealing what their sharp senses of sound and smell – instincts included – had picked up. They were back in Hige's cluttered apartment, having managed to walk the short distance there. Not surprisingly, their wounds were beginning to heal fast and as Toboe jumped to his feet, trying not to stumble at the sudden wave of dizziness that washed over him, he sniffed once…twice.

"Kiba," he stated simply. He turned to them with panic in his eyes, his features pale and drawn with worry. "Something's happened to him."

Hige was nodding, hands reaching for his jacket. "I'll go find them. You two stay here and…"

"Are you kidding?" Blue all but growled as she too rose to her feet. She had to steady herself against a cabinet for fear she'd collapse. She might be healing fast, but the blow from that bastard, Darcia, was still affecting her locomotion. "If you go, we go with you. Right, Toboe?"

"Right," the boy added emphatically, looking determined. Both he and Blue had bandages around their heads, and hardly looked in any condition to get into another fight. Hige wasn't really sure of just how bad the situation was with Tsume and the others, but he'd be damned if he dragged these two into it. Besides, he had promised Tsume to look after them.

"You can't come with me," he yelled in frustration, for Blue was already searching for her coat. "Listen, the two of you…"

"We don't have too much time," Blue interrupted. She shrugged into the white outfit and began to head for the door, dark blue eyes fierce with the same fight that was now in Toboe's heated gaze. "We owe Darcia a little thank you for what he did. Don't worry, we'll be careful."

"That's the least of my worries," Hige mumbled, having no other choice but to follow the duo before him. He prayed that whatever awaited them wasn't going to be as terrible as he was predicting.

_Be alright, guys,_ he begged inwardly. _Please be all right, for all our sakes._

* * *

Tsume's howl of anguish shot through Jagara like a knife. She had never heard anything so primal, so raw, so…_intoxicating._ She sighed at the sight of the two men below, wishing that things had been different. It would be a pity to have to end both their lives. All was lost now. There would be no redemption for a woman like her. The thought of finding paradise must have been an illusion, only shattered by her blind faith in Darcia. 

Damn his treachery!

"His death has brought me no joy," she said, now pointing the gun towards Tsume. "Now I realize my grave mistake. I was so determined to find him, that I forgot his role in finding the flower. The girl who goes by the name of Cheza."

Tsume had made no move, his back still turned to her, his gaze seemingly trained on the bleeding man lying on the cold earth before him. The only motion he made of having heard the deranged female was a tremble of his shoulders and the clenching of his hands into tight fists.

"But she does not exist," Jagara continued. She walked down the jagged rocks, being careful not to trip. "Don't you think if she did, she'd be attracted to his scent? That she would have sought him after all this time? Just as you and the others all met, where is she in all of this? Why hasn't she showed herself?"

She stopped behind him, watching the back of his head. "Aren't you even curious to know what this girl must look like now?"

She pressed the muzzle of the gun against the white hair, cocking it as she smirked. "Or perhaps you're jealous that there is a girl out there, waiting for him…longing for him…just like you lust for…argh!"

He finally moved, so fast, she barely had the time to compose herself. Like a caged beast, Tsume had spun around, burying his fangs into her wrist, the warm taste of her blood pouring into his mouth like liquid fire. The gun fell to the ground and with a swift kick it was sent into the lake, furious gold eyes trained on the screaming woman above him. He sank his fangs deeper, ignoring the blows she was beginning to rain on his head with her free hand. He would bite her fucking hand off. He wouldn't let go, not even if she begged for mercy.

"You animal!" she howled and tried to kick him with a heeled boot. Again, fast reflexes had Tsume dodging it, his hand gripping her foot to send her tumbling to the ground. He straddled her, watching her features seem to elongate with terror, spittle and drool escaping her wide mouth as she screamed and screamed – an endless cacophony of horror.

When he felt the bones within her flesh, he released her, only to wrap his hands around her neck as her now useless right wrist and hand fell with a loud and sickening thump.

"You killed him," he growled and squeezed. "You greedy, selfish, BITCH!"

Her face was beginning to turn a sickly shade of blue, her eyes seeming to bug out of their sockets as she tried to breathe. Tsume had never felt this angry before. He had thought that dealing with Sykes and his cronies was anger, but this…this was indescribable. His entire being thrummed with a fire that threatened to scorch him. Feeling Kiba's warm blood against his hands while holding the limp body against him was enough to drive him mad. To think that he'd never be able to speak to the bastard again, to see those eyes trained on him, to know what he really tasted like.

It was this bitch's fault and she was going to pay by God!

"Die," she croaked and coughed at the same time. A tiny dribble of blood was beginning to escape her mouth. "Death…is…but…a…welcome….ending…"

"What are you talking about?" he growled, only to hiss sharply as he felt something hot pierce through the right side of his torso.

"A…little…gift…from…me…"

Tsume pulled back a little to see the tiny but ornate cylindrical object that was sticking out of his jacket. Jagara must have been hiding the phial all this time, looking for the right opportunity to use it on him. How foolish had he been? Tsume could already feel the poison working through his system, making him feel sluggish and his vision blurry. He eyed the woman below him, now knowing that simply choking her wouldn't be enough. He removed his hands slowly from her neck, having made dark red grooves against her pale flesh.

"It's you and me in hell then," he said with a smirk as he leaned closer. "You and me, bitch."

Sinking his fangs into the exposed flesh was extremely satisfactory as her low guttural cry sealed her fate. He could feel the life draining out of her, just as the poison within him worked its own brand of magic. When Jagara's heartbeat ended on a slow but solitary note, he rolled off her body and to the ground, trying hard to catch his breath. His own heart rate was slowing down and he could hear it thudding within his ear drums, as if toying with him, daring him to do something to prevent an inevitable death.

"Not…yet…" he whispered, dragging himself across the grass and rocks to find the one he sought.

As he approached Kiba's prone figure, to Tsume's dismay, he could feel his eyes welling with tears.

_Happening all over again,_ he thought bitterly as he reached for Kiba's hand to hold on tightly. _We just never quite make it to the end, do we, Kiba?_

His chest tightened, but not from the poison, but at the thought of what might have been between them, if only they had lived. He shuffled closer to the prone body, allowing Kiba's blood to warm the coldness that crept up his flesh. With a trembling hand, he cupped Kiba's cheek, forcing his glazed gaze to focus on the rather peaceful visage. He traced the full lips gently, leaning closer until a breath separated them.

"When you come back," Tsume began in a choked voice, struggling to hold back this moment of weakness. "You had better find me again, Kiba. You hear me. Come find me again and this time…this time I promise to make it right…for both of us."

He kissed Kiba for the last time, inhaling the sweet scent that seemed to flow from him. He tasted the bitter salt of his misery and loneliness, praying for one last moment of warmth from Kiba before he passed away. Perhaps he imagined it, as his senses began to dull, but Tsume could swear he heard voices calling out his name, but most importantly, there was a responding pressure from the lips of the man he had thought dead.

_Kiba,_ his mind screamed in doubt, in fear and in hope.

_Tsume,_ came the whispered words from somewhere in the darkest recesses of his mind. _Tsume…come back to me…Tsume…!_

* * *

_I have always been alone._

"Is he awake?"

_Never knew my parents…family…what family?_

"He seems to be rousing up…look his eyes are moving behind the lids!"

"Stop pointing!"

_I have journeyed for so long…so long…all alone…_

"Is he talking in his sleep?"

_Until I came here….and met…him…_

"I think he's trying to say something."

_…until I smelled him…wanted him…needed him._

"What? What's he saying?"

_Tsume. _

"I think he's saying…"

"Tsume."

"Tsume?"

"Aaah! He's awake!" came the loud cries from Toboe and Hige, who had been doing all the talking over Kiba's prone figure on the hospital bed.

"You two are morons," Blue said, rolling her eyes as she pushed Hige aside to smile at Kiba. "How are you feeling? We thought we had lost you back there."

Kiba opened his lashes a bit wider, now realizing where he was. The sheets felt scratchy against his back, while the blinding whiteness of the walls and furniture was giving him a headache.

"How long have I been…?"

"One week!" Toboe said with a grin. "You had a gunshot to the stomach area, but the doctor said you'd be fine. She's hot!"

"Toboe!" Blue chided, although she was trying not to chuckle.

"But she is, Hige said so."

Hige waved his hands about, just as Blue gave him a cold look. "Hehehe, I never said any such thing. Toboe likes to exaggerate things." He eyed the younger boy, who was now giggling, and made a slicing motion across his neck. He was going to kill Toboe for yapping so much.

Kiba watched the camaraderie for a moment with a small smile on his lips, but there was one person missing. One person who would make this picture complete. "Tsume?" he finally asked, feeling his insides become cold at the immediate reaction the name caused.

Toboe had stopped chuckling, his lashes lowered as if hiding a dark secret. Blue toyed with the hem of her shirt, while Hige scratched his head and then his nose before speaking.

"He…" He looked to Blue and Toboe for help.

"He was poisoned," Blue finished quietly. "The woman he killed…"

"Jagara," Hige added quickly.

"Yeah, her. She must have poisoned him with something the doctors are not even sure of. If it wasn't for Dr. Cheza…"

Kiba stiffened, eyes widening at the sound of the name. "Who?" he began slowly. "What did you say her name was?"

"Dr. Cheza," Blue replied. "She was the only one able to find an antidote, so Tsume's resting in Intensive Care at the moment."

Heartbeat pounding harder and faster than ever before, Kiba struggled to sit up, eliciting cries of dismay from his new friends. He had to find her. He had to talk to her, to make sure this wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

"I have to find her," he argued as Hige tried to pin him back to the bed. "Let me go, Hige!"

"And what do we have here?" came the lithe sing-song voice that had the four of them turning toward the door in unison. Standing there was a young woman with shocking pink hair with eyes that matched. Her smile was warm and infectious, the long white lab coat, hiding the slender figure beneath. There was a seeming innocence around her, and yet neither four could deny the sweet, nearly heavenly scent she gave off whenever she was close by.

"Che…Cheza?" Kiba croaked.

"Dr. Cheza," the lady said with a laugh as she pointed to her badge. "But I'll make an exception for you, since you're quite cute. As for the rest of you." She clapped her hands smartly. 'Visiting hours are over."

"Aww," Toboe whined. "Can't we stay for a little longer?"

"Not today," Cheza said, shaking her head while placing a soft kiss on the boy's forehead. His sigh of pleasure was worth it. "When you come tomorrow, I just might have some candy for you."

"Awesome!"

"You're so easy to bribe," Hige scoffed as he waved goodbye to Kiba. "So gullible and…"

"…and I've got fresh baked doughnuts just for you, Hige," Cheza added with a cheeky grin.

"Sweet!" came the enthusiastic cry from Hige. "I'm so here tomorrow."

Their laughter faded away with the slow close of the door, leaving Cheza and Kiba alone to stare at each other for a long minute.

"You know," Kiba finally said when he was sure he could find his voice. Her gentle and yet sad smile was all the answer he needed. He moaned and lowered his head within his hands, only to have them pulled away gently as Cheza sat on the bed beside him. She cradled them within her sure hands, as if sending her warmth into the cold flesh.

"I promised to find you when I returned," he whispered in sorrow. "To find our paradise together. You…you were what I was searching for all the time and I…I failed, Cheza."

"Failed? Why do you think you failed?"

He lifted his pained gaze. "Can't you see all that happened with Darcia and Jagara? I did not remember on time and…and I nearly got everyone killed all over again."

"But you didn't Kiba," Cheza said softly as she caressed his cheek. "You succeeded. You have found your own paradise…without me."

He blinked in bemusement. "Wha…what do you mean?"

Cheza smiled and rose to her feet. She paced to the window and looked out into the dying sunset. "You once loved me, Kiba. Enough to do anything to take me to a place where we both belonged. You who were once alone, found friends and those you could care for." She closed her eyes, her fingers clutching the thick green curtain tightly. "Those were difficult times for us, Kiba. We were in a world where wolves and humans barely got along, where pain and suffering seemed to reign and the world knew no better." She opened her eyes and turned to him, and he could see the tears shimmering within them. "I loved you too, Kiba and I wanted us to be together again…"

"So why can't we?" Kiba asked, even though he knew within his heart, the answer to that. He desperately tried to find the blind attachment he had felt for her in the past, to find the unquestioning devotion…but all he could see…feel…

"You know the answer to that, don't you, Kiba?" Cheza replied with a tremulous smile. "In this world, your paradise has already been found. With him, you can both find the happiness you deserve."

Kiba's cheeks suffused with color. He tried to look away, but her face held him captive. He didn't move even when she moved closer to kneel before him. She took his hands between hers and placed a tender kiss on each finger in reverence.

"And what about you? What about your happiness, Cheza? Have you…found it?"

She nodded and looked around the room. "Here. In this hospital. In this world, I can bring healing to many this way. Everyday, people walk through those doors with pain and suffering in their hearts, not just the physical ailments. To see them smile at the end of the day is all I could ever want. So yes, I am happy here, Kiba. And I want you to be just as happy too."

Kiba flushed and lowered his gaze, staring at the white sheet with acute fascination. His happiness. Would it finally be his? And with a person like…_him?_ He didn't know what the future held, but he was going to try – to try for both of them.

"Will…will you take me to him?" he finally asked in a hoarse whisper.

With a warm smile, Cheza nodded and rose to her feet. "Come with me then, Kiba. He's been waiting for you."

* * *

Tsume stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to catch his breath. He was doing his 100th sit up and the sweat rolled off his skin like beads of rain. The light gray pants he wore hung low on his lean hips, his bronzed torso and chest glistening with his exertions. Since his 'imprisonment' in this godforsaken hellhole called a hospital, the doctors had thought it necessary to keep him in for a day or two longer, even though he felt perfectly fine. 

Since the events at the ruins, where he had honestly thought he was a goner, things had been a whirlwind of eye-opening revelations for him. He now knew that the voices he had heard, was only Hige, Blue and Toboe arriving at the scene just in time and that the voice that had called his name was actually Kiba, who was rousing from his faint. Damn it all! And there he had thought Kiba was dead.

Now angry again, he turned on his stomach to begin a series of push ups, grunting as he moved up and down, faster and faster. The tiny puncture, where Jagara had poisoned him, was healed and thanks to that female doctor, Tsume felt as good as new again. He wasn't a fool, he had recognized her as soon as his vision and senses had recovered completely. In the vision shown to him at the ruins, he knew it was Cheza, the flower, only this time she was a healer of another kind.

Unfortunately, his jealousy had forgotten to take a back seat.

She was still as beautiful as ever, and her personality was enough for any hot-blooded male to fall in love with. Tsume's mind had immediately gone to Kiba's reaction and how he would receive her again. He was sure that Kiba would be all over Cheza like he had before, that he would want to remain with her, willing to toss Tsume away now that his goal was achieved.

"Damn," he cursed and slumped to the floor, closing his eyes at the pang of pain that seared through his chest. Why did he even give a fuck? If Kiba decided to stay then…then…

_I'll just go back to the way things were. Find another lousy contract job and hope I remain alive. What a life._

"…without Kiba…"

A light knock on the door had him opening his eyes with a sigh of frustration. Great. Another nurse to tell him to get back to bed.

"Come in," he called out in a gruff voice, watching the door open slowly. Still lying on the floor, he looked - everything was upside down to him - but there was no denying the bare feet and jeans that belonged to only one person.

Ignoring the skipped heartbeat, Tsume sat up and tried to look as uninterested as possible. "Look who's finally here."

Kiba coughed lightly and held up the basket of fruits, something Blue had insisted he bring with him today. He had been released from the hospital a few days ago, but had found himself a bit shy to actually face Tsume face-to-face. Since Cheza showed him Tsume's room a week ago, he had visited everyday, simply content to sit beside the silent man, wondering just what he would say to Tsume when he did wake up. When the news had come that Tsume was active again, Kiba had come up with as many excuses as possible as to why he couldn't visit the hospital. It was Blue who finally gave him a good kick in the pants and forced him to come here today.

"Sorry…" Kiba mumbled, making a show of arranging the fruits on the bedside table. "Been busy…"

"With Cheza?" Tsume asked, unable to keep the bitterness away from his voice. He kicked himself inwardly for being so transparent.

"We only had dinner once…and lunch…once," Kiba defended himself quickly. He met Tsume's cool gaze and lowered his. "But there's nothing between us."

"Like I care," Tsume mumbled and rose to his feet. He tried hard not to stare too long at the t-shirt that seemed to cling to Kiba's physique like a second skin, or the dusky outline of those tantalizing nipples to his gaze. He struggled to gather moisture into his dry mouth. "Toss me an apple or something."

Glad to be doing something with his hands, for fear he would lunge for Tsume's bare chest and caress that scar or lick it or worse, Kiba tore the wrap open with trembling fingers and pulled out an apple.

"Here."

"Thanks." Tsume caught it deftly and sank his teeth into the fruit, its juices whetting his parched tongue and throat. He took another big bite and finally noticed Kiba staring at him…hungrily.

_Goddamn it. Kiba was driving him insane._

"What are you staring at?" he asked, eyes darkening with unbridled lust. "If you want an apple, get one yourself."

Kiba stared at the basket, licked his lips slowly and then eyed the one in Tsume's hand. "I want…"

"You want…?" Tsume smirked, watching Kiba's feral instincts begin to take over. It was beautiful to watch the transformation, to see the shy, timid Kiba become what was hidden within – a beast. The low growl that seemed to emanate from deep within Kiba resonated with Tsume, as heated gazes met and locked.

"You," Kiba breathed.

"What are you waiting for?" came the husky tease as Tsume spread his legs apart and rested on his elbows, daring Kiba to come for him.

Kiba needed no second invitation. With a low growl, he moved swiftly, straddling the inviting legs to seize Tsume's lips in a kiss that left them shocked at its intensity. Tsume had no time for foreplay. It had been too long since he was denied the pleasure of taking Kiba completely. He parted his lips to welcome Kiba's questing tongue, sucking, tasting every inch of the sweet offering. Kiba could taste the apple on Tsume's lips, gasping as he felt Tsume's strong hands cupping his ass to knead it roughly.

He tore his lips away, panting harshly as his hands traced Tsume's scar tenderly. "Fuck me," Kiba commanded against Tsume's lips.

"Thought you'd never ask," came the gruff reply.

Kiba was all but tossed to the bed, Tsume's hands making quick work of the jeans as Kiba's hands tugged the sweatpants down Tsume's hips in fervent jerks. Fevered gold and teal depths remained locked, only broken as both felt their erections finally free from their constraints. When Tsume slid two fingers into Kiba's mouth, it was sucked on with vigor, the digits coated with his saliva as he watched Tsume's flushed features above him.

"Oh God…" came the breathless moan when those cool and wet fingers teased his puckered opening just as his balls and cock were stroked at the same time. He jerked into Tsume as the fingers probed deeper, wrapping his arms tightly around the taller man's neck as dull pain flared into indescribable pleasure. Tsume's fingers dug through the tight ring of muscle, stretching and all but coming as he felt the tight pressure against his flesh. Fuck! If it felt this good with just his fingers, what would it feel like when he finally…

"Now, Tsume," Kiba moaned. "Now…can't…wait…"

"Patience," Tsume replied with a low chuckle that shook with desire. He couldn't believe he was actually saying this, but for some reason, he felt he had to take it slow now, to make Kiba feel as good as he hoped he would. He withdrew his fingers, eliciting a low mewl of disappointment from Kiba. Tsume placed his hands behind Kiba's knees, raising his legs to give better access to his dripping cock.

"God, you're fucking beautiful," Tsume rumbled with emotion. "You have no idea, do you?"

He closed his eyes and slid in slowly…carefully…all the way in, sucking in a harsh breath at the feel of Kiba tightening, sheathing, imprisoning his cock with each thrust. Tsume didn't stop until he felt his balls against Kiba's ass, leaning forward until their lips barely caressed each other, their bodies stiffening to get used to this level of intimacy.

"Aah…fuck…feels good…" Tsume moaned.

And Kiba, who had struggled to hold back his tears of not just satisfaction, but of finally…_finally_ feeling complete after so many years of loneliness, whispered thickly against Tsume's lips.

"I love you."

Tsume's eyes widened. "Wha…mmmph!"

Kiba stole whatever questions he might have asked with another searing kiss, hips bucking upwards to force Tsume to move. It took them less than a minute to establish a rhythm, their bodies straining with a passion that rose steadily to a heart pounding crescendo. Their low grunts, moans and groans filled the room, beads of sweat rolling off clenched muscles. Kiba dug his fingers into Tsume's strong back, his body arching off the bed as the pleasure rose to a fever pitch. He was dying. He had to be dying. Nothing was ever allowed to be this good to him.

_Tsume! Tsume!! Tsume!!!_ His mind screamed over and over again, allowing his body to do all that his lips couldn't say. His confession hung in the air between them, and Kiba wasn't ashamed of admitting it. It seemed impulsive, but the words had come from deep within him, knowing that it was the right thing to do. He wanted to be with Tsume, for as long as the other man would let him.

"Kiba!" came the sharp grunt from Tsume as he too approached his peak. He stiffened, his cock swelling within the tight sheath. With a final gasp of 'Oh…fuck…' he exploded, his entire body quaking with the force of his orgasm just as Kiba's warm semen coated his torso and upper thighs as he too came. The world swam before his eyes and he collapsed upon Kiba, panting and struggling to catch his breath as he felt the strong arms around him. He could feel his seed pouring into Kiba, making those slick walls even slicker as more of his seed escaped to trickle down to the sheet.

Tsume nuzzled Kiba's neck gently, tongue darting out to lap the sweat off his lover's neck. He smiled at the low moan Kiba gave, allowing his pleasure-dazed senses to come back to earth.

"Hey, Kiba," Tsume drawled, fingertips now tracing the hard nubs of Kiba's nipples through the t-shirt they hadn't bothered taking off. "When you said you…uumm…loved me…did you…" Tsume couldn't believe he was actually blushing while saying this. Thank goodness Kiba couldn't see his face at this time. "…did you mean it? I guess it might have just been said out of the heat of the moment, but…" He cleared his throat, heart pounding faster now as he set out his proposal. "…it's not a big place or anything, but…if you want to stay with me…for a while at least…then, you're more than welcome to. So…what do you say?"

A heart stopping silence greeted this proposition.

Tsume felt his cheeks darken with embarrassment. Damn Kiba! Why couldn't he say something. "Kiba?" He lifted his head slowly. "What do you think of…?"

The words died on his lips as the light snore from the other man had Tsume groaning in disbelief. Not again!

"Kiba, you bastard! Why are you never awake for the most important things!"

And as he began to shake the oblivious man awake, outside the door, Cheza giggled and walked away with a smile on her lips. With assured confidence that at least things were looking up for those two, she really couldn't be happier for Kiba and his new friends.


	12. Epilogue: Paradise Found

**Epilogue**

**Paradise**** Found**

"Hey, that's not fair!" Toboe pouted as he watched the sitting arrangements. "How come you are all dating each other? I'm the odd one out."

Blue blushed and patted the seat beside her. "Oh, don't be silly. We're still friends, right?"

"That we are," Hige replied as he placed a kiss on Blue's cheek, earning him a knock on the head from the still blushing woman.

"I still can't get over you two though," Blue finally said as she eyed the silent couple before them. Tsume was thumbing through the menu with a scowl on his face, while Kiba – with darkened cheeks – stalled for an answer by drinking from his glass of juice.

All five were at a diner for lunch, courtesy of Hige and Blue who were announcing their engagement after weeks of relentless pursuit by the former.

"Well, I sorta knew Tsume had the hots for Kiba," Hige began, only to wince in pain as he got a swift kick under the table. "Ouch. I can't feel my balls," he whimpered in agony.

"Anyway," Toboe interrupted, waving his hands in excitement. "Guess who I went to see the other day?"

"Well, spill it," Tsume finally snapped after no one was able to guess for about a minute or two.

Toboe rolled his eyes. "I went to see my former boss."

Blue gasped in shock, while the older men gawked in surprise.

"You went to see…Quent?" Kiba eventually asked. "Why? After what he tried to do to you?"

"The doctors said he has amnesia now, so he can't remember anything."

Tsume rolled his eyes in disbelief. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"No joke," Toboe said, looking pleased with himself. "And you should see him now, Blue. He's much nicer and kinder. He actually was glad to see me visit him. No one comes to see him anymore. I talked to him about you…well I said that I had a friend named Blue and when I said it, tears came to his eyes. He wants to see you."

Blue stared at the napkin on the table, trying to hold back her own tears. The actual concept of a 'nice' and 'kind' Quent Yaiden was unbelievable. How long had it been since she had been with the man who had once treated her like his own daughter? Greed, wealth and power had changed him and it was something she had hated. She barely felt Hige's reassuring squeeze on her shoulder.

"I'll come with you if you like," he said softly and she looked at him with gratitude before smiling at Toboe.

"Sure. Why not? We'll bring him a basket of fruits…" She stopped as she noticed Kiba's flushed features and how Tsume suddenly found the menu interesting again. "What? What's wrong with taking a basket of fruits to him?"

"Nothing," Kiba said quickly, stealing a glance at Tsume who was still staring at the menu. "I just remembered the fruits you told me to take to Tsume at the hospital that time. It was very…"

This time, Tsume looked up and smirked lightly. "Delicious," he finished in a husky whisper. Hige coughed, Blue blushed and Toboe looked clueless.

"Hmm?" he asked, staring at the adults with bemusement. Was it just him or had the air grown thicker with something akin to tension. "Fruits are delicious. I like them."

"Indeed they are," Kiba replied, reaching out to ruffle the young boy's hair affectionately. "I hope you get to taste them one day."

"Huh?"

"So how's life with Tsume?" Blue interrupted before Toboe could wonder what Kiba meant about that.

"Interesting to say the least," Kiba answered, ignoring the look thrown at him from his partner. "We got jobs at the docks. We'll be offloading things when ships come in."

"Cool," Hige agreed with a nod. "I might join you there."

"Like hell you will," Tsume growled. "I don't need you around to keep bugging us."

"Hey, I don't bug you, do I Kiba?" Hige asked with a pout.

"No, no you don't. Besides, I think he'd be a great teammate," Kiba pleaded with the scowling Tsume.

"See? Kiba thinks I'm great."

"A toad thinks you're great," Tsume mumbled, which earned hearty laughter from the other occupants of the table.

He tired not to smile as their conversation ebbed and flowed over him. Still pretending to focus on the menu (he honestly didn't know what to order), he watched the laughing couple. Who would have thought the fatso and a beautiful girl like Blue would ever get together? They were making plans to move to a bigger and _cleaner_ apartment, adopting Toboe as their 'kid' and putting him in school. However, with Toboe visiting the old geezer, Yaiden, who knew if he'd want to become the old man's caretaker or something?

His gaze finally fell on Kiba, who was laughing at something Toboe was saying to him. Tsume felt his stomach give another nervous sick lurch, a sensation he was beginning to get used to, just being with Kiba or thinking about him. The past few weeks had been – not to sound clichéd – but it had been heaven for him.

Surprisingly, and after the whole sleeping fiasco at the hospital, Kiba had shyly made the request about moving in with Tsume, claiming he had nowhere to go and no place to stay until he worked hard enough to make some money to find a place for himself. Tsume had squashed the latter part of his suggestion by taking Kiba again. This time he left a visible bite mark on Kiba's left hip, a sign that he belonged to Tsume and Tsume only. It was a mark that Kiba wore with pride…granted he too reciprocate the gesture by 'scarring' Tsume with a mark on his lower back. Just thinking about it sent chills of desire down Tsume's spine, memories of the day Kiba had bitten and licked the blood off his flesh, still as vivid as ever.

He shifted restlessly on his seat, causing Kiba to glance at him with a silent question.

For an answer, Tsume reached for Kiba's hand on the seat between them to squeeze it gently in reassurance. With his eyes, he hoped he was able to convey all he felt, to tell this man just how much he meant to him. He was yet to say those three words to Kiba, but with every passing day and night spent together, it was becoming increasingly hard not to do so. Kiba was a breath of fresh air, not just to him, but to the entire block. The kids who had always played with Tsume, had now taken a liking to the man with the shaggy hair who could do some cool tumbling tricks. The older ladies (and several younger ones) appreciated the man who would always leave a compliment or help with their groceries. They were always willing to leave a casserole or two for the bachelors as a token of their appreciation.

Tsume took it all in stride, trying to curb that jealous streak as much as he could. For although the women and children had his attention during the day, he knew the nights belonged to he and Kiba – and oh, what beautiful music they always made.

He simply couldn't imagine his life without Kiba anymore. How pathetic was he?

With lunch finally over and Hige, Blue and Toboe on their way to the hospital to visit Quent, Kiba and Tsume began to make their way to the docks for the evening shift. Two ships were coming in, so it was going to be pretty busy tonight.

They walked close together, and yet Tsume felt a distance as Kiba had his hands sunk in the pockets of his jacket. He eyed the dark hair that rustled gently with the breeze, the bright teal eyes that seemed to gleam with an emotion he couldn't quite describe. He admired the straight nose, the full lips he had now kissed so many times and couldn't get enough of, the strong jaw and that strong throat he had licked and caressed. Jesus! Kiba was…

"Hmm?"

"What?"

"Did you say something?" Kiba asked with a small smile. The smell of the sea was soothing to him and he really did love working at the docks. He was glad he had managed to talk Tsume into working here with him despite the memories it brought.

"I didn't say anything." _Dumb, Tsume! Why don't you just say it?_

"I saw Cheza today."

"Oh." Tsume felt his stomach sink. "How's she?"

"She's fine. I think she might have a new boyfriend or so. She was glowing for some reason."

"Hmph."

"She said, she's happier than she's ever been." Kiba looked confused for a moment. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think…"

"Can we not talk about Cheza…for now?" Tsume cut in rudely.

Kiba shrugged and then mumbled something Tsume couldn't quite hear.

"What did you say?"

"I said, it's not like we talk much anyway," Kiba said louder. "I'm just trying to make conversation."

"Yeah, well why do you have to keep talking about her? Can't you talk about anything else but that damn woman?"

Kiba stopped walking and Tsume cursed inwardly. Great. Just what he didn't want. To get Kiba upset.

"Look, I'm sorry, I…"

"You're right," Kiba muttered. "She's all I seem to talk about because…because I hardly know anything about you, Tsume." He pinned intense teal depths on his stunned partner. "I don't know you…and you never talk much about yourself…and I feel like…like…" He ran fingers through his hair in frustration. "Never mind. Let's just go."

He spun on his heels to continue walking. This was just another argument that wouldn't make any difference whatsoever –

"I love you too."

Kiba froze again, not sure he had heard correctly. He turned around slowly, but Tsume was already walking past him, his cheeks red, and his footsteps quick and hurried.

"Wha…what did you say?" Kiba asked desperately, having to run a little to catch up to his striding partner. "Tsume!"

"You heard me," came the gruff reply. "And we've got a whole lifetime to learn all you want about me. Just…just give me a little more time, okay?"

Kiba's jaw dropped. A whole lifetime. Did this mean…? A helpless grin of pleasure broke out on his face and he jogged up again to catch up to Tsume. He reached for the taller man's hand, ignoring Tsume's small sound of protest, and held on tightly.

_No longer alone,_ he thought as he looked to the heavens in gratitude, just as he felt Tsume's firm squeeze of acceptance. _In this new world created, we have each found our Paradise._

"What are you smiling about?" Tsume asked, trying to hold back his smile of content.

They stood at the top of the ridge, looking down at the hustle and bustle of Port Victoria below them. The sea looked tranquil beneath the evening sky, the lights from the port, shedding orange glows on the rippling cool waters. It really was a beautiful sight to behold.

"Because I've finally found it," Kiba finally said quietly.

"Found what?"

Their eyes met, neither man realizing they had moved closer until their foreheads touched.

"Our Paradise, Tsume," Kiba whispered, sealing the distance between their lips with a slow and tender kiss.

_Just me…and you…always._

**-The End-**


End file.
